Rock band, the Schooldrivers, hail from Athens – Greece, and comprise of lead vocalist Kay Darens, Nico Boneli on Lead Guitar, AJ Anasto on bass and background vocals, as well as Vl@hos on drums and Marpi on Keyboards. On unraveling the story behind their upcoming album release, “Theronation” we discovered that the album campaign on Indiegogo was completely funded 20 days earlier than the predetermined deadline.
Other noteworthy facts about the Schooldrivers, include the fact that the band uses vinyl as a form of expression and as its main media vehicle. The album will have will have global distribution from10 January 2014. The band has also played over 200 gigs so far and have starred on the 1st Greek Rockumentary on MTV GREECE called The Band Project, and are considered a modern rock pioneer in Greece.
My rock roots go back to the 70s and ’80s, but I still like to look for quality rock bands in the modern day. The Schooldrivers is one of those bands and their album is everything I like to hear in a modern day rock album–walls of guitars, strong melodies, powerful singing, and a variety of tempos. The Schooldrivers accomplishes all of that in their latest epic album.
From monster tracks like “Roll The Dice”, “Ol Johnny” or “Sex Drive” to the beautiful heartfelt power ballad that closes the album “Alone”, the quality is there. Just about every track has energy, attitude, and passion. My favorites being the tempo-layered, “Gotta Give” and the acoustic-driven “Incantation”. All throughout, the mesmerizing vocals supplied by Kay Darens, sits somewhere between the addictive growling of Jon BonJovi and the high reaching power of Kleis Meine (The Scorpions), which completely hypnotizes my ears!
The key to any rock band is the lead vocals, no matter how good the instrumentation is. The vocalist can make or break an even great band. This has always being the unspoken rule. The Schooldrivers absolutely don’t break that rule. Their vocals soar above the rest, which gives them another added edge within their genre.
The Schooldrivers achieve something most bands wished they could. They just play rock music! They are here to rock their hearts out, and certainly the songs on display on “Theronation” are pure evidence of that fact. They bring elements of alternative metal, hard rock, and some grunge into a volatile mixture that will certainly please most rock fans.
This album is a prime example of what a modern rock band should be; dynamic and not static, with all members of the band, greatly contributing to the music. Not one song on this album is bland, boring, uninspired or forgettable. Like almost everything else in this world, it’s probably the endless hours of work behind “Theronation” that make it seamless. There’s an inherent balance to the music; the even parts of grit and grace, the powerful lyrics and the skilled musicians, which crafts one of the better rock sounds of this year.
If you’re a fan of any kind of rock, than “Theronation” by the Schooldrivers is totally for you. Almost every song is flawless, with epic choruses and intoxicating rhythms and melodies.
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