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REDS’COOL
Bad Story

Music Buy Mail (2013)
Rating: 7/10

It’s not every day you get to hear classic hard rock played by a Russian band, but Reds’Cool is a rather rewarding experience and a band to be taken note of – even more so given that they’ve drafted in the talents of producer Michael Wagener (W.A.S.P., White Lion, Metallica, Mötley Crüe, Poison, Alice Cooper etc.) who also worked on the debut.

Bad Story is the second album by this quintet, coming two years after 2011’s Attraction, and it boasts nine solid, rockin’ tracks that should appeal to fans of straightforward metal with infectious melody. One spin of Bad Story and you’ll find it no surprise that these guys have toured with the likes of UFO, Whitesnake and W.A.S.P., among others.

Reds’Cool are fronted by Roman who has a classic sounding hard rock voice. He’s backed by guitarists Sergei and Ilija, bassist Alex and drummer Andre, and the result of these five accomplished musicians is a sound that combines the likes of Scorpions, Kingdom Come, Whitesnake, and the like. Rarely do the combo resort to any type of aggression or epic power, but with the likes of ‘Hey You’ and opener ‘Bite’ you’ll hear a straightforward mix of rocking harmonies and sturdy rhythms. However, where the band’s real talent lies is with their fluidity through these songs and their knack for finding a handful of catchy choruses.

There are certainly no frills with the likes of ‘Bite’, but it has such an endearing quality from its basic riff and Roman’s smooth delivery which reaches its climax with that hooky pre-chorus and main chorus. Great stuff.

Of course, like all very good rock bands Reds’Cool is a dab hand at those subtle touches too. This can be heard with the simmering ‘Confession’ which is rarely more than an aching plod, but it really does evoke a relaxed mood as it builds to the chorus on those delicate guitars. ‘Love And Pain’ follows suit. In fact, it walks hand in hand with ‘Confession’ as a sublime low-beat rocker, but where most bands would appear basic, the real power of the album is with tracks such as ‘Upside Down’ and closing rocker ‘Bad Bad Story’.

It could be argued that there is a touch of the formulaic about the Reds’Cool sound, but while countless artists have in the past, and the present, churned out similar sounds, it takes a special quality to not make such songs sound ordinary. The likes of the reflective, piano-laced ‘You Must Go’ and ‘Feel You’ are evidence of well-crafted, thought out tunes – the sort which are often devoted to the female form, and the latter featuring some of Roman’s most powerful strains.

Bad Story is a commercial rock record, but that is its aim. Nothing fancy, but just a good steady album that evokes images of some of Europe’s best 80s metal bands, and there’s nothing wrong with that if it works. There may be nothing remarkable about this pop-tinged opus, but in its simplicity it succeeds with ease.

Neil Arnold

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