42 Decibel - Ignite

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42 DECIBEL, hailing from Argentina, is a straight forward hard rock ‘n’ roll band. They lean heavily on influences from the likes of AC/DC, ROSE TATTOO, and some of the earlier bands from the seventies classic rock style; and that influence is extremely apparent on their latest release “Ignite.”

It becomes obvious from the opening cut, “Winebound,” that these guys are huge fans of AC/DC. The guitar work is similar in styling, the rhythms are identical, and Figueroa’s vocals could be a spot on tribute to Bon Scott. His guitar work, while very good, sounds as if he listened to the first four AC/DC releases just before walking into the studio to record.

“Desire Satisfier,” the second song, has a strong riff-based intro and is a great rock ‘n’ roll song, but falls victim to the same formula that I mentioned before. If 42 DECIBEL had set out to record a tribute album to AC/DC, I’m not certain they could have gotten closer than they have with “Ignite.”

Moving on, we find the song “Shotgun Bier,” which is a good rocker and has a solid groove, but reminds me of the AC/DC anthem “Live Wire.” The album closes out with the track “Chaos and Flames,” and I found myself doing something that I rarely have the occasion to do when listening to new music: feel relieved that it was over.

I have no problem at all with the musicianship involved here. All four of these guys can bring it. Figueroa’s guitar work leaves little to be desired, and Riley’s slide work on the tracks “Off the Hook” and “Raven” is spectacular. His rhythm work throughout the record is also great. Cambiasso and Masanisso are both solid, and the timing is held together well, especially on the much faster paced “Poison,” probably the most original track on the record. I even hear a bit of Billy Gibbons’ influence on this one.

I would like to hear this band come into itself more and stop relying on the obvious Bon Scott/Angus Young influence in their original work. With their obvious musical ability, they could be an incredible hard rock band. It is unfortunate that they come off here sounding like a well-oiled tribute band.

Songwriting: 7
Musicianship: 8
Memorability: 5
Production: 6