[Review] Alex Ryder’s new single ‘ROCK’ “absolute passion and power”

This is a pretty unique piece of modern rock songwriting. From a performance perspective, the artist has the vocal strength and attitude to carry a hard rock melody with absolute passion and power. The instrumentation surrounding and supporting the vocal also further that feeling with perfect relevancy. However, from a songwriting perspective, things take a turn for the somewhat unexpected as the hook settles in, and it has the effect of making you really start to listen – perhaps more so than you were during the verses. The chorus section has a sound that is partly anthemic and choir-like, yet partly some fusion of genres and styles that really gives it a stamp of individuality.

The classic rock chorus as it’s known throughout the genre is the sort that fuses many voices, a high energy, passionate meeting of performances, and that’s what you get with this release. It’s not an instantly gripping hook melody, the mix has left those additional vocal parts, that additional melody, lingering like a distant instrument – something which captures your attention at first, and then makes a little more sense the further into the release you get. The verses are there to fully connect the pieces of the puzzle, and the lyrics offer something truly unique.

The whole release grows on you more and more as the music plays; it quite quickly becomes the perfect piece of audio to accompany some fast paced motion picture or upcoming theatre piece or series.

It’s an almighty song and the performance is on point, that goes without saying. The leading guitar riff that opens things up has immense power, as does the drum line running and evolving throughout. The verses are superb, the story telling has a certain uniqueness that holds great appeal.

By Rebecca Cullen

Rebecca is a Musician and writer from Manchester, UK, with an MA in Song Writing