CHERRY GRIND ~ A ROOM WITH A VIEW.......album review.

Australia is fast becoming another of those countries that can be relied on for producing good quality  music especially when it comes to the alternative and underground rock scene. Although not yet quite up there with Sweden and Greece there does seem to be, apart from saltwater crocs, sharks and box jellyfish, something in the water down there.

Cherry Grind hail from Adelaide and are a four piece hard rock band consisting of Sam Patsouris-Vocals, Guitar, Peter Cerlienco-Vocals, Bass, Jack Stevenson-Lead Guitar, Vocals and Zach West-Drums. Having teased us with two tracks of excellent groove laden hard rock'n'roll in 2014 the band have now delivered on the promise those two tracks held by releasing their first full length album "A Room With A View"

Mention the words hard rock and Australia in the same sentence and the first thing that will come to most peoples minds will be AC/DC, maybe Airbourne or for those more up on the Australian hard rock scene... Electric Mary. Well although there are elements of all those bands within the grooves of "A Room With a View" the vibe I get more than any other is that of British band Rainbow. When I say Rainbow I don't mean the dungeons and dragons era of  Ronnie James Dio ..no I mean the Graham Bonnett, Joe Lynn Turner years when the band shifted from 70's heavy rock to a more commercial  melodic sound. It is no surprise to then find that the man Cherry Grind chose to oversee the production of their first album is ex Rainbow and Ozzy bassist Bob Daisley!
" A Room With A View" manages to find a balance between melody and mayhem that will please those that like their rock "classic" and classy and those that like a little grit in their grooves. Songs like "No One Home", "The Gap" and "Tombstone" bump and grind with the best of 'em but are infused with superb lead and harmonised vocals and are both catchy and kick -ass in equal measure. If you want down and dirty rock'n'roll then "Turn'n'Burn" and "The Fool" fit the bill nicely with chugging riffs, throaty lead vocals and soaring lead guitar work underpinned with solid rhythms.. Elsewhere "Sunlight" delivers the obligatory ballad and avoids cheesiness with the power of its performances. "She's Moving" closes the album with a slightly southern country rock groove that, to these ears, has a touch of Bad Company meets Jo Jo Gunne vibe going on, gloriously groovy and totally addictive.
If you like late 70's melodic rock full of hooks and melodies but still hanker for the grit of the earlier period of that decade than you can not go far wrong if you decide to give these guys a listen, I don't think you will be disappointed!