D-ZIRE "The Awakening" (CD)
(Official Website)
I really didn't know what to expect from this Californian band when I first heard the intro ('Desire') of this album which is a quite dark, long and ambiant track. I could tell from the pics that they would probably sound heavy rock but I really got confused for a bit because of this intro and the cover didn't help too much neither since it could have been made for an underground goth band. It's only after their song "Daydream" that I could tell that I was not wrong, that these guys were actually into heavy rock strongly influenced by the 80s/90s hair metal scene. They sound a bit like a mix of MADAM X, LIZZY BORDEN, DOKKEN and POISON with the usual big choruses, guitar solos and ballads (I'm sure you can only enjoy "Don't Look Back"'s powerful chorus.) The production is raw but not bad for a band playing this style of music in 2004. If you like the 80s/90s hard rock scene, then I'm not taking too much risk if I say that you'll like D-ZIRE. Moreover, as the title of the album could suggest in a political context,the band is strongly opposed to George Bush and his administration so check them out.
/Laurent

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