Shattered, a hard rock band originating in Greensburg, PA, has been rocking the Pittsburgh area since 2006 and they have just released their EP “Blackout Sessions” and their influences of Alice In Chains, Godsmack and the like can be heard all through this release, including in the vocals of Josh Comp. His alto voice with a rough edge brings an interesting sense of originality and yet familiarity to the music for those of us who grew up on some of those fine bands of an era.
This CD is really smooth yet comes with a hard edged sound in the back, a comfortable vibe that still gets your head moving. On the first play they are good songs but after walking away you find that they are stuck in your mind enough to start the tracks over again. Nothing in your face, more a collection of fluid, well done, music that has the ability to be played anytime, anywhere while drawing you in to listen more closely and want to turn up the volume on a couple of your favorites. A quick look over the band’s page, https://www.facebook.com/shatteredrocks/, and I can say that they have stuck to their unique brand of music in a way that will make their fans proud and make new fans easily.
“Love/Hate/Obsession” has a comfortable 90’s feeling to start you off with an introduction to their sound and a slight intensity through the song. The drum beats of Kevin Dick are clear on this and tend to keep you attention through the song. “The Reckoning” is probably one of my favorites as I personally enjoy it when a band can bring in acoustics yet keep the feel of hard rock. A pleasant surprise to that song was the blend of vocal harmonies between Comp and fellow vocals of guitarists Erik Rhodes and Evan Schlege, who later came in with the electric guitars as well as bass from Tim Noel. “Martyr” had a darker sense to it with the low riffs adding to the overall feel but “Hellbent” was almost a melody with a deeper side that made me envision fans in front of the stage with lighters… or maybe the bright screen on their cell phones if I’m going to think modern. The final song “Catalyst” picked it all back up and put me back on my feet, a great way to end a CD.
If you haven’t had a chance to check this band out, do so. You’re going to be happy with what you find. They have an original take on the type of music people now look to as one of the best periods of modern rock. This is the stuff many of us grew up listening to and the sound we often search for still. Pick up a copy of “Blackout Sessions” today for your collection!
Music Review by: Lady Jaye
