Aussie Hard Rock and Metal has rarely sounded this good in recent years. We may have had Midnite City and Reckless Love down-under recently and Crazy Lixx and Eclipse almost made it, but who’d have thought that an Australian band would surface that you could mention in the same breath as those solid gold rockers. Well here they are – Catalano has landed!
Beautiful production and a slow build leads you into the glorious opener ‘Livin’ It Up’ which hits between the eyes like Judas Priest had been conceived in the height of the arena rock 80’s rather than the previous decade. It’s a great way to start an album with Metalized Joe Elliott style vocals but no preparation for what is to come!
‘Set This City on Fire’ that follows is just a little subtler with great gang vocals and searing guitars, it’s good-time rock and roll for a generation that never knew that rock and roll was meant to be fun.
And then just when you start to think the album might be a little heavy for you comes the glorious title track ‘Nightfighter’ which simply sizzles with a Def Leppard-like drive and some majestic harmonies. It’s my track of the year so far!
Whenever I read the title ‘Wildest Dreams’ I always think of the great songs that have shared the title by Asia, Saga, and Ten. All great songs but this tops them. It would be fair to say that four tracks in these guys are on fire.
And it doesn’t let up: ‘Overdrive’ is more over the top arena rock with those glorious backing vocals and the coolest of 80’s guitar sounds; ‘Saturday Night’ is a little more mid-tempo but just as pleasing; and ‘What I Want’ keeps the party going with more swagger than a night out on Sunset Strip in 1989!
‘Lost in Love’ will have Def Leppard fans salivating, yes I know that band is cunningly left out of the list of influences which includes: Ratt, Dokken, Lynch Mob, W.A.S.P, Winger, Motley Crue, Firehouse, Def Leppard, Trixter, Danger Danger, Kix, Alice Cooper, KISS but they are certainly here with the essence of all those other great names.
Single and final track ‘Rock the World ‘ leaves you mouthing “just nine tracks you bastards!” but that’s part of the beauty here – nine killer tracks that just make you want more. It’s another huge song that leaves you breathless know that you have just heard the kind of album that you were almost certain they stopped making some decades ago!
If you love 80’s rock then take a bow to the newest masters of the scene – Roxx Catalano, Matt Fawcett, Nick Casalini, Rory Joy, Nick Caligula take a bow. I call ‘album of the year’. Now where do I see you play live?
