Wicked Sensation from Karlsruhe,
Germany releases their 4th studio album
'Adrenaline Rush' on AOR Heaven and I
can't understand how this band has been
outside my radar all these years. Their
earlier albums are: 'Reflected' (2001),
'Exceptional' (2004) and 'Crystallized' (2010).
Wicked Sensation plays fabulous melodic
hard rock in a blend of Van Halen, Deep
Purple, Whitesnake and the stiffer rock
songs from Toto.
The powerhouse
vocalist David Reece (Accept, Gypsy Rose, Bangalore
Choir, Sircle of Silence) supports the band on 'Adrenaline Rush' and
is a stand-in for the ordinary vocalist
Robert Soeterboek, who sadly has been forced
to step back because of personal health
problems. 'Adrenaline Rush' kicks off
with "King of the World" and they
deliver a pile of awesome guitar hooks
and a flood of creamy melodies and Harry
Hess (Harem Scarem) can be heard
together with David Reece in this great
track. Mr. Hess gives his honor and
voice in the next tune and can be heard
in the chorus, again. Accompanied by the
fine keyboard player Eric Ragno (Graham
Bonnet) in the top track "Same Old
Situation", which sounds like an perfect
mixture of Van Halen and Extreme and it
steams of catchy rhythms and hot riffs.
In "Misery" and "Leave me like a Fool"
it swings and rocks out of my speakers like Whitesnake and Van Halen did in the
good old 80's and
Michael Klein and Sang Vong plays the
guitars like two great string bending
masters. "Blue Painted Sky" is a
terrific track with big harmonies and a
superb vocal performance. Wicked
Sensation is only delivering high quality songs
in their playlist. "Angel in Black" is a hidden rock
gem in the middle of the album in darker shades than
the earlier songs. "Living on my Memories" and
"Desperate Nation" oozes of tasty, oily and juicy
80's hard rock melodies with BIG guitars and David
Reece seems to just love his time at the
microphone. "Desperate Nation" is
probably my favourite song on this
golden disc.
The title track "Adrenaline
Rush" is a harder and stiffer metal
track and the band was able to get
Mathias Dieth (ex. U.D.O. guitarist) to
do an outstanding guitar solo. A killer
song! "No more Lies" has big strokes of
Deep Purple and Whitesnake and the last
song “This Time" is an acoustic ballad
and the perfect closing song on a
stunning album.
The producer, Dennis Ward
(Unisonic, Pink Cream 69) is the man who
gave 'Adrenaline Rush' the powerful
pressures and heavy punches. Michael
Klein, the band’s strong man, lead
guitarist and main songwriter has a band
in world class and I have to get my
hands on their old albums because this
is delicate ear-candy for us fans of
melodic hard rock/metal.
One of this years most
surprising top notch albums, on my list
anyhow!!!
Line up:
Robert Soeterboek – Vocals
Michael Klein – Guitars, backing vocals,
bass
Sang Vong – Guitars, backing vocals
Martin Mannhardt – bass
Bernd Spitzner – keyboards
Dirk Bruinenberg – drums
Guest Musicians:
David Reece – All lead vocals
Harry Hess – choirs, backing vocals on:
King of the World, Same old Situation,
Misery, Leave me like a Fool, Angel in
Black
Mathias “Don” Dieth – guitar solo on
“Adrenaline Rush”
Eric Ragno – keyboards on “Same old
Situation”
Ritchie Kovac – percussion on “This
Time”
Jan Knopf – backing vocals on “Blue
Painted Sky”)
