Swaggering, hard, heavy and full of attitude - just as rock should be!
Released on 1st September 2009, ‘Universal Language’ is the debut solo album from Oklahoma-born vocalist David Reece. Some hard rock fans may recognise Reece, who has been in the music industry for over 20 years, from his short fling with 80’s German metal band Accept, to fronting bands Dare Force, Bangalore Choir, Lillian Axe, Sircle of Silence and Swede rockers Gypsy Rose.
‘Universal Language’ is absolutely bursting with hard rocking, powerhouse music that draws on both Reece’s American and European influences - the strength of his vocals will blow you away! It’s obvious in every track that Reece oozes confidence and so he should - after fronting a variety of bands
for 20 years, he has finally released an album all of his own!
I found it intriguing to listen to songs from such an experienced musician, who has seen so many changes in the music world over the years. Although the songs have a definite classic rock vibe, they also have a modern twist that is delightfully appealing. Reece describes the album as “melodic hard rock... full of big choruses and strong grooves that showcases past, present and future”. The best tracks on the album are ‘Queen of my Heart’ and ‘I’ll Remember You’, which portray Reece’s sensitive side, massive ballad ‘Once in a Lifetime’ and opening track ‘Before I Die’, a swaggering song which is hard, heavy and full of attitude, just as rock should be! This is a great song to kick off what is essentially a great album.
My only criticism of ‘Universal Language’ is that a lot of the songs sound similar, which could become boring after a while. I found the album very easy to listen to as background music and was soon singing along with the more memorable tracks but despite this, I can’t imagine it would keep me entertained if I was, for example, on a long journey.
Overall, ‘Universal Language’ is an impressively confident solo album from an incredibly talented vocalist. As the title suggests, it’s written to be understood and appreciated by the masses. It will undoubtedly appeal to hard rock fans, but those who are willing to be open-minded will be pleasantly surprised. Not only is the vocal performance outstanding, but the instrumentals are solid, courtesy of Reece’s band, made up of guitarist Andy Susemihi, ex-Holy Moses bassist Jochen Funders and drummer Stefan Schwarzmann. This album should be in the collection of rock fans everywhere!
For more information about Reece, please visit www.reece-rocks.com