PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
It’s here! The time has finally arrived as UK Blues Awarded Nominated Rockers Brave Rival announce their brand-new, 12 track, passion filled, sophomore, self released studio album, Fight Or Flight on August 16th, 2024.
It’s definitely value for money, clocking in at near the fifty minute mark, opening up with ‘Bad Choices’, the last single taken from the album. It’s nowhere near a bad choice due to the sublime twin lead vocals from Chloe Josephine and Lindsey Bonnick. It’s an instant attention grabber from a teasing main guitar riff, hefty drum patterns, a bass riff that looms menacingly, bursting into life for stratospheric height reaching choruses, closing on an ear melting guitar solo.
The heaviness continues with ‘Seventeen’ (not to be confused with the 80’s hair metal garbage from Winger), but a rabble rouser of crushing powerchords.
‘Stand Up’ (featuring Will Wilde on harmonica) is a mean and moody marauding three minutes of rock and roll raunch, peppered with an acerbic performance of harmonica.
‘Insane’ lives up to its title by a lilting, creepy vocal, for a skin shivering vibe, bursting into life midway for a sweet string section and a fretboard burning guitar solo of fleet fingered prowess.
‘Fairytale’ has a calm before the storm vocal intro that precedes a full on four minutes of headbanging inducing fury, gaining even more momentum towards gripping choruses and another guitar freak out par excellence!
‘Heavy’ is heavy by its title but is a tearjerker that pulls out all the stops for an emotional delivery, point proven by an angelic lead vocal and a precisely picked guitar solo. Totally breathtaking!
‘All I Can Think About’ is dominated about the stratospheric height reaching dual lead vocals that enchant over quaint acoustic guitar until it approaches power ballad territory and a hypnotic guitar outro.
‘Five Years On’ is a feisty headphone rattler, opening with a catchy riff and sweeping keyboards over a put up or shut up lead vocal, pinned down by a snappy drum pound and wailing outro solo.
Quirky drum patterns add an extra edge to ‘Unravelling’, a pop tinged ballad that almost runs off the rails midway from an auctioneer speed delivered vocal.
‘Sink Or Swim’, my favourite track is the heaviest, emotionally and musically as a hefty snare arsenal, jarring guitar lines and a gnarly vocal rages along with aplomb.
‘Blame The Voices’ is balladry at its heartwarming best as sweeping strings add colours to this all consuming song that surges towards an unreal outro of wah wah guitar.
This outstanding album closes with ‘Stars Upon My Scars’, a languid, lengthy shot in the arm of heavy blues, ticking off all of the boxes as it rises and falls on a wave of sheer beauty, closing on more guitar wizardry. New strings please!
Band info, including the Fight Or Flight album and tour dates are here :- https://linktr.ee/braverival
Fight Or Flight album track listing :-
Bad Choices.
Seventeen.
Stand Up (Feat. Will Wilde).
Insane.
Fairytale.
Heavy.
All I Can Think About.
Five Years On.
Unravelling.
Sink Or Swim.
Blame The Voices.
Stars Upon The Scars.
Brave Rival band personnel :-
Chloe Josephine – Vocals.
Lindsey Bonnick – Vocals.
Donna Peters – Drums – Percussion and Acoustic Guitar.
Ed ‘The Shred’ Clarke – Guitar.
Billy’Danger’ Dedman – Bass Guitar.
Lindsey Bonnick adds, “To me, there’s a different energy. Lyrically, just about every song can be viewed in different ways. There’s a strong thread around mental health, whether we were writing about things we’d gone through ourselves or experiences picked up from meeting people on the road.”
