Page 36 - Classic Rock (January 2020)

THE DEFIANTS

17 Zokusho FRONTIERS

If ever a band was aptly
named, it’s this one. Led
by survivors from the
glory days of hair metal
– current and former
members of Danger
Danger – The Defiants roll like it’s 1989
on what is indisputably the best melodic
rock album of 2019 (see Dave Ling’s
AOR Top 5 for confirmation). Zokusho
(Japanese for ‘sequel’) is all about big
tunes, with Hollywood In Headlights a classic
all-American anthem. And the finale,
Drink Up!, takes ‘no brainer’ to a whole
new level. PE
Killer track: Hollywood In Headlights

THE MAGPIE SALUTE

16 High Water II PROVOGUE

If the rumours prove to
be true (Ed's note: they are,
see p14), and warring
brothers Chris and Rich
THE DEFIANTS the money going into Rich’s bank account
Robinson do reunite The
Black Crowes in 2020,

might be better, but it would be heavy
going for the guitarist after three bullshit-
free years leading The Magpie Salute. What
They came out of the shoulda-been-big-but-weren’t Danger Danger, and is also evident, in High Water II, is that this
this year released ‘one of the great melodic rock records of modern times’. band, featuring other ex-Crowes and
soulful singer John Hogg, are now reaching
Words: Paul Elliott a peak, as illustrated by the vintage-Stones
groove in Gimme Something. If hell freezes
egendary rock critic Nick Kent once with grunge,” he recalls, “but we never thought that over, much will be lost. PE
described Thin Lizzy’s Live And Dangerous as our genre was in trouble. We just thought we could Killer track: Gimme Something
L“an album made by heroes”. The same could all coexist.”
be said of The Defiants’ Zokusho, the feelgood album They were wrong, but Danger Danger kept going STATUS QUO
of the year, from guys whose dreams went up in in the 90s, with a new singer, AOR cult hero Paul 15 Backbone EARMUSIC/EDEL
smoke in the grunge explosion of the early 90s but Laine, replacing Ted Poley. In 2014, Laine left the Francis Rossi trailered
who never stopped believing in the life-affirming band and Poley rejoined. But since then they’ve Backbone with his
awareness that a new
power of rock’n’roll. made just one album, Revolve, released in 2009. “As
With The Defiants, every song is an anthem. of now,” Ravel says, “there are no plans for any new Quo album without the
“That is our default setting,” says bassist Bruno Danger Danger material. That’s not to say it could late Rick Parfitt “had to
Ravel. And if Zokusho sounds like their heads are still never happen, but it’d be a long shot at this point.” be seriously good”.
stuck in the 80s, Ravel takes that as a compliment. And so, as he puts it, “I moved on.” Rising to the occasion, Quo exceeded
“We try to blend that eighties feeling with some It was Serafino Perugino at Frontiers Records expectations with Backbone, a feelgood,
more current production elements,” he explains. who brokered a reunion between Ravel and Laine. hook-laden collection, with guitars set the
“And I think we succeeded with that.” “He reached out to Paul and myself separately,” right side of overdrive and contributions
The roots of The Defiants lie in Danger Danger, Ravel explains, “and through a series of discussions from Rossi’s vintage-era songwriting
the band that Ravel co-founded in New York City The Defiants were born.” The band also includes partner Bob Young. Setting aside nostalgia
in 1987 and in which he still plays. In those early current Danger Danger guitarist Rob Marcello. and sentiment, Backbone is more consistent
days, it seemed that Danger Danger could be the And after an acclaimed debut album in 2016, titled and characteristically Quo-like than the
next big thing in hair metal. Their self-titled debut simply The Defiants, with this year’s Zokusho they’ve majority of their 90s albums and the
album, released in 1989, had a couple of great tunes created one of the great melodic rock records of fag-end of the post-Frantic Four period.
in Naughty Naughty and Bang Bang, and on 1991’s modern times. Overall a disarmingly enjoyable addition
follow-up Screw It! the power ballad I Still Think About Paul Laine is a large-than-life character. As Ravel to their catalogue. RD
You could have been their Every Rose Has Its Thorn. says, laughing: “Don’t piss him off or else ‘The Bull’ Killer track: Liberty Lane
“We thought that too,” Ravel says. “We had many will come out!” He’s also phenomenal singer, who
songs that we felt could have been hits. We had all really lights up every one of this album’s anthems, BETH HART
the ingredients a band needed to break big.” from Hollywood In Headlights to Ravel’s favourite, 14 War In My Mind
But they didn’t, for a number of reasons. It Goes Fast, “the message of which”, he says, “is to MASCOT/PROVOGUE
According to Ravel: “Bad management, stupid enjoy life while you can. Which resonates very Beth Hart is the
decisions by our record company and some strongly with me these days.” songwriter who just
bad judgement by us.” There was also the issue And what next for The Defiants? keeps on giving. Her
of timing; Screw It! came out in the same year as “Hopefully we’ll do some shows next year,” womanly despatches
Nirvana’s Nevermind. “We saw what was happening Ravel says. “And one more record? Time will tell.” from the emotional
e zone just get
battl

36 CLASSICROCKMAGAZINE.COM