What ingredients do we have here? Well, hard rock, southern rock, blues rock and sometimes folk/country rock and alternative rock. Think of an American band, which blends all these ingredients and prepares something really personal and unique. The Georgia Thunderbolts don’t create something new, they don’t reinvent classic hard rock, however, they make something that has their signature. They take all these elements and their mix is truly something different. Add to all these their passion, their feeling, their soul and you understand that their sophomore album is an extraordinary hard rock album, that will speak to your heart and mind. I like very much the vocals and their nuances, the guitars and their intricate phrases, the cohesive rhythm section. Everything in ‘Rise Above It All’ is well-crafted and exudes authenticity, rare artistry and a hard rock prowess, which cannot be ignored. My personal favorite song off this record is ‘Rock and Roll Record’, but all songs have beautiful melodies and brilliant arrangements. Everybody, who doesn’t know The Georgia Thunderbolts, has now a pretty good reason to become a fan of the band’s music. If you admire and like Bad Company, Aerosmith, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Led Zeppelin, then you read the right text! Rock n’ roll will never die!
♦ 8/10
Dimitris Zacharopoulos
