Burning Amp - Like a Rock

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BURNING AMP is a German Heavy Metal band that is releasing their second album “Like A Rock” through STF Records. The first thing that I notice while listening to all of this is that singer Christian Löer sounds like a lighter version of Marc Storace (Krokus) and Bon Scott. Christian, but really doesn't have the same power or range that those guys have/had. Yet he does sound kind of similar. At least he does to me.

As for the music, it is Melodic Rock mixed with a little Heavy Metal. Nothing more, nothing less. Musically most of the songs are quite alright, albeit a little lightweight. And in a number of cases that is also due to the restrictions of the voice used, as the band does like music and vocals to mix and match as much as possible. Unfortunately the mix of “Like a Rock”  is done in such a way that Christian Löer is on top of the music, and not interwoven. The unwelcome consequence of the production of “Like a Rock” is that it becomes abundantly clear that the pronunciation of a lot of the lyrics does leave a lot to be desired. Definitely an area that BURNING AMP as a band, but singer Christian Löer really needs to work on.

I want to mention the last song on the album separately. “Father” is an emotional rollercoaster of over seven minutes that has all the ingredients to be an absolute classic. Whatever BURNING AMP thought they needed doing to make this an epic, they did. Has it paid off? Yes and no. Yes, as it is impressive. No, because despite all the effort put in by the band, it just doesn't have that little bit of extra needed to make it into something special.

I really can't fault the musicians themselves, as they can play, and know how to make a song come together. But what's holding this album into becoming a really good one, it is that there are too many points where they turn themselves down, slow the tempo and become just too subdued. Unfortunately that doesn't save anything, as the vocals remain just too meagre. If you ask me, when BURNING AMP is at their best, it is when they rock just that little bit harder. The best examples are the title song, “Clear Words” and “Cure the Pain”, the heaviest, but also the most Krokus oriented songs on the album. The constraints are off, and all of a sudden the band sounds like a proper rocking machine instead of a balancing act. So if they could please record more of those heavy songs, and stop constraining themselves, I'll be the first in line to compliment them. Now BURNING AMP is just average. Pity.

Songwriting: 5
Musicianship: 5
Memorability: 5
Production: 6