THE BEAST

LAST BREED - Devil to Pay - Reviewed By metallus ! Check it out here at this link: https://www.metallus.it/last-breed-recensione-devil-to-pay/

Inspired equally by Thin Lizzy, UFO, Riot and Saxon, Last Breed is an American band made up of East Coast veterans and a young guitarist from the Philadelphia area. With a debut album recorded between France, Hungary and Pennsylvania, the lineup consists of Robert Ballinger Jr (guitar), Caesar “Czar” Ettore (vocals), Alan D'Angelo (bass), Anthony Stahl (keyboards), London Fowler ( guitar) and Màrton Veress (drums, in the studio) offers hard rockwho certainly pays his artistic debt towards the names mentioned above, with an "analogue" approach to both the sounds and the singing which brings us back, in part, to the glories of those glorious times. At the same time, however, “ Devil To Pay ” also benefits from a modern production which, although it cannot be defined as sumptuous, still gives it a fresh and modern impact. The drums, in particular, offer a greater dynamism than what could be heard fifty years ago, accompanying this rockstrongly derivative in a more current and contemporary context. Beyond the interesting temporal location, a bit between old and new, the music of the American group has the main advantage of the pleasantness with which it lets its tracks flow, for thirty-six minutes and in rapid succession.

Even if the melodies are really nothing special, Caesar Ettore 's frequently doubled voice appears perfect for the part and for the spirit embodied by the band , while the rhythms do not reserve great surprises and the solos - from which I honestly would have expected an effort greater – they embellish just that much per kilo but without really changing the cards on the table. The ease with which listening proceeds remains a plus point, especially when evaluated within a record that chooses to be inspired by a rock style that is more interested in the idea of ​​reconstructing a credible atmosphere than in commercial success. From this point of view, the enthralling moments or those in which the Last Breedthey seem to want to push the accelerator to the max: “ Devil To Pay ” is rather a mature and controlled work (“ Look At Me ”), deliberately free of shocks and inspired by a sometimes even melancholy flow, with all the credentials to conquer the listener who finds himself in that specific mood . In the relatively short duration of the album, one can sense, even from the point of view of the cold playing time, the desire to offer a taste but without really digging beyond the surface of a rock packaged with a lot of care and little courage. If we then consider that, despite a fairly short setlist, we also find two covers (" Hard Lovin' Man " by Riot andHighway Lady ” by UFO, neither of which are unfortunately worthy of note), the fact that Last Breed do not yet have the authority to support the entire composition of an album on their shoulders becomes particularly evident, a circumstance that cannot be ignored take into consideration when evaluating this product in its entirety.

The major limit of " Devil To Pay " lies in the fact that its entire personality is exhausted in the mix between classic & new , a rhetorical device that soon exhausts its novelty and, in all honesty, does not appear sufficient to save from I've forgotten some of the more generic tracks (like the ballad “ Forever Home ”) and very uninspired from a lyrical point of view (“ Wastin' My Time”). Therefore, if we exclude this first point of interest, the rest does not say much about the ideas and intentions of the American group, limited by an image and a style in which it is practically impossible to grasp relevant, personal and distinctive signs. Theirs is a seated and inoffensive rock which, with its linearity, can worthily accompany when you are busy doing something else, a bit like what happened with the work of Lost Circus , but which hardly possesses that magnetic power capable of completely catalysing the listener's attention. However , the presence of some tracks such as the bluesy “ The Crazed & Obscene ” and the energetic “ Whiskey Train ” suggests that Last Breedthey are capable (also) of more and, despite a debut that is unlikely to leave its mark, it is perhaps worth giving them a second chance to really understand what this latest breed is made of . metallus  

Release Date: July 28th, 2023

FFO: UFO, THIN LIZZY, KISS 

Location: PA/NY 

Short Bio: Last Breed are a hard/heavy rock n roll band taking inspiration from legendary 70's rockers such as Thin Lizzy and UFO, as well as 80's and NWOBHM acts such as Riot and Saxon. The band features veterans of the East Coast (USA) rock and metal scenes, as well as the introduction of London Fowler, a killer young guitarist from the Philly area. Last Breed plans to release their debut album, "Devil To Pay", which was produced by Carlos Alvarez in Summer 2023. Drums were recorded and engineered at Orange Termek Studio, Budapest, Hungary by Jànny Dominik in early 2022. The remainder of the album was recorded and mixed at Dirty Viking Audio throughout 2022, and Mastered at Tower Studios in France by Brett Caldas-Lima in early 2023. 

Check them out on YouTube!

Last Breed are: 
Robert Ballinger Jr (Power Theory) - lead and rhythm guitar 
Caesar "Czar" Ettore (Season of Mourning) - lead vocals 
Alan D'Angelo (Power Theory,Everdawn)- bass Anthony Stahl (Silent Assasins, Dead Risen) - keyboards 
London Fowler - lead and rhythm guitar 
Màrton Veress (Armageddon,Orgy, Davey Suicide) - 
drums (studio) 
Dan Prestup -(Everdawn, Dead Risen, Spyder Rockets) drums (live) 

Follow the band at these links: 

https://www.facebook.com/LASTBREEDROCK/ 
https://www.youtube.com/@lastbreedrock