 GMT
Bitter & Twisted
Retrowrek Records 2006
www.gmtrocks.com
What’s the 4-1-1?
The debut release from the thundering rock trio crosses a variety
of musical genres/boundaries as Bernie Torme, John McCoy, and Robin Guy show
the new blood how it’s done.
Genre
Rock / hard rock / metal / punk / classic rock
The Good
The foot stomping relentless pace of “Cannonball” starts the
album off by exploding from the speakers. I had heard the song previously
on a DVD I reviewed and I’m happy to say that it remains fully intact
in it’s power here. The music is pounding and the delivery pace of
guitarist Bernie Torme’s vocals is note perfect.
One of the two planned radio releases, “Rocky Road (To Dublin)” mixes
today’s hard rock sound with the phrasing of Irish music and carries it
off wonderfully. The title track has a slower tempo and a blues-rock finish to
the song while “Can’t Beat Rock N Roll” is a fast paced rocker.
A more groove oriented track like “Miss The Buzz” proves GMT is adept
at any style of song. The songs that start off in a more ballad like fashion
like “Down To Here” and “Summerland” also serves as examples
of their musical adaptability. The former features a really cool guitar solo
from Torme, while the latter track ends up a far more rocking track with an attacking
guitar line before settling back into the slower tempo again. It’s also
the longest track on the CD. The length and pace of the song give it that classic “epic” feel.
Still, with all that being said, it’s the first track “Cannonball” that
stands out to me as the best on the album. It grabs you by the throat, throws
you against the wall, and dares you to try and turn away. It’s a candidate,
in my book, for song of the year.
The Bad
The closing track “Vincenzo (Della Grande Pumpo Del Amore)” is
solid musically, but I didn’t care for the lyrics or the delivery.
I can’t decide if they were being delivered tongue in cheek like
a novelty song or what.
The Verdict
Imagine putting the pedal to the metal? Do you have that imagine in your
head? Okay, now save for an occasional moment when you run into another
car on the highway, imagine never letting up on that pedal? This is the
feeling you’ll get when listening to GMT. It’s a university
level course in how to make a dead on balls accurate rock album. From the
hot guitar riffs of Torme to the slamming rhythm foundation of McCoy and
Robin Guy, the band puts to shame more than a lot of bands making hay these
days.
Did You Know?
When Bernie Torme had his own band Torme, current L. A. Guns singer Phil Lewis
was the frontman.
Robin Guy has played with Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson.
John McCoy worked with current Anthrax singer Joey Belladonna.
Rating:  out
of 5
Related Reviews:
Desperado - Ace
Gillan - Live Edinburgh 1980 DVD
-- Jay Roberts
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