Rock Reviews

Visualize what might've fit perfectly at one time in that up and coming young artist section from Circus magazine or Hit Parader back in the day-long haired rock guitarist clad in leather striking a definitive pose amidst a leopard skinned backdrop.

Someone forgot to tell J.D. Bradshaw that 1985 ended last year so he's no longer supposed to be doing this.

But you know what. who cares?

He certainly doesn't and this latest entry into the recently re-popularized 80's rock movement yet again proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that good music is good music period, regardless of the era it appears in.

The one man wrecking crew boasts a pretty impressive style of hard rock attitude that finds him illuminating the neck of his Carvin with a wild intensity many of today's artists would do well to learn from.

Bradshaw's 4-song EP features inspirations that move freely among Satriani-"Coolin' Out," to Malmsteen-"Beltane," to just about any able-fingered fret-burner that's embraced the will to shred and create more than just a simple three stroke bump and grind to leap up and down to.

"All the Way" is the first and only song here that features vocals with Bradshaw admirably filling the role, though structurally, the verse might've been stretched just a bit before moving into the bridge, but a fine example of interlocking groove and melody nonetheless.

"Blue 135" is a well placed outro jazzed up and letting loose in the finest SRV tradition and flashes about two and a half minutes worth of diversity in style among the rest of the heavy shredders.

Bradshaw, who has logged a fair amount of club mileage supporting local acts, does a respectable job stepping onto his own private stage here and it's refreshing indeed to see a musician not shy away from those influences that have allowed him to speak his mind through his music

.Released by Acacia Entertainment

By Vinnie Apicella