_{On 27th January, Frontiers Music released new albums from the front-men of two of the 80’s iconic rock bands. I’ve already published a recommendation for the debut release from Jack Russell’s Great White. The other album is the latest solo offering from Ratt frontman Stephen Pearcy, entitled “Smash”. The album title provides ample opportunity for corny superlatives about how good it is, but I’ll avoid that and just say that it is one of those albums that you love from the first listen. I played “I Can’t Take It” on the Friday NI Rocks Show on 3rd February and “Dead Roses” on the Show on 10th February.}

 

_{It’s hard to believe that this is Pearcy’s first album releases since Ratt’s “Infestation” in 2010 and even more shocking that it is 9 years since I bought his last solo album “Under My Skin” in 2008! I liked that album, but “Smash” takes it to another level altogether! All 13 tracks are of the highest standard and I’m not even going to try and pick favourite tracks from the album!}

_{Pearcy is joined by Erik Ferentinos on guitar, Matt Thorne from Rough Cutt and Ratt on bass and keyboards and former Anthrax / White Lion drummer Greg D’Angelo. Chris Hager provided the guitar on the track “Shut Down Baby”.}

_{Pearcy and Thorne did the mixing and mastering on the album, although Beau Hill, who produced the first four Ratt albums, mixed and mastered the track “I Can’t Take It”.}

_{It’s very early to talk about lists of favourite albums of 2017, but if I actually did those lists at year-end, “Smash” would definitely be a strong contender!}

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_{About “NI Rocks Recommends”}

_{The simple idea behind “NI Rocks Recommends” is to acknowledge and promote some of the great music being submitted to Rock Radio NI. I'll not be giving marks or ratings or analyzing the tracks in great detail; just telling you something about the artist and the album. It’s a personal recommendation to go check something out, not a traditional “review”!}

_{My musical tastes cover most things rock; from the not too melodic to the not too heavy. The albums that I’ll be recommending are those that you’ll hear me playing tracks from on my shows on Rock Radio NI.}

_{Check out NI Rocks on Facebook – www.facebook.com/NIRocks or Twitter - www.twitter.com/NIrelandRocks}

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