ALBUM REVIEW: To Hell And Back – Des Rocs
Picture this: you jump into your car, move the rearview mirror to catch a glimpse of your slicked back hair, run a comb through it one last time. You plug in the radio, and the intro to To Hell And Back starts playing. That feeling of invincibility takes over, and suddenly you are ready to take on the city and anything that gets in your way.
DES ROCS is the project of New York rock ‘n’ roller DANNY ROCCO, and with his third studio album, he is set to release his most raw, honest and personal record yet. Built on grit and determination, making it through the dark to the other side. Since grinding his career from the ground up with his self-released EP Let The Vultures In in 2018, ROCCO has been sharpening his bedroom arena rock sound with every release, and To Hell And Back is his magnum opus. The maturity of the project is undeniable, the feeling of struggle and despair is one every listener can relate to, and by the end of it, the sense of freedom is overwhelmingly pure.
Working-class rockstar DES opens the album with When The Love Is Gone. “Show them why they call you Des Rocs” is the spoken word that sets the tone, and you are going to feel it. Meaty bass and clean drums power up the start of the track before the electric guitar unfolds its fiery energy into circling, hip-moving rock ‘n’ roll riffs. The vocals are close and intimate, almost a whisper in your ear, switching between riled-up, angsty yells. A powerhouse of an opener that embodies everything the album stands for.
Fall Together follows. A mid-tempo track that leans into the alternative side of rock. Cinematic in scope and anchored by a sweeping string section that elevates the emotional space. It builds momentum into the next two tracks: Sing Me Back To Sleep, slow and raw, a broken voice laying its pain, and The More She Wants, which lets you sit in the feeling with nothing but the voice, the lyrics and the music. Although the intensity slows down in this stretch of the album, the power that flows through his sound never flickers.
Picking the rhythm back up, one of the star tracks of the record swings through to sweep you off your feet: The Riders Of Red Hook (Legends Never Die). A magnificent song with equally grandiose lyrics telling the epic tale of life in New York City. The circling guitars signal the perseverant theme of the album. The full band gives the track its body, each instrument entering and making way for another at exactly the right moment, beautifully curated. The vocals are strong and secure, not holding anything back. The bridge arrives as a sort of electronic rock opera, climbing towards something superior before breaking into a majestic riff. A beautiful track from start to finish that gets better the further it goes.
The King follows, allowing a moment to catch your breath. A rhythmic, heartbeat-like intro introduces a track that is the perfect evolution of DES ROCS‘ rock sound: carefree and full of swagger, exactly the attitude the project has chased since day one. Moving into This Land, used as part of the soundtrack for Borderlands 4, the album builds and builds before exploding with the production of Joe Chiccarelli (THE WHITE STRIPES, THE STROKES) breathing through the chords. You can feel the undertones of those artists reflected here; a nod to the icons while establishing something completely his own.
The instrumentals and production are central to this album, there is no denying that, but the range of vocal abilities on display is equally impressive, and nowhere more so than on War. A modern rock track with a tinge of funky blues, it is timeless. The deep, powerful lead vocal is met by backing vocals that bring a firestorm of contrasting energy, and together they make an anthem.
The Juice, the earliest major single from this era, holds its place as a classic rock ‘n’ roll tune. Supernaturalize follows, melodic and feel-good, before closing the album with The Way. In which, a short acoustic intro gives way to an electrifying guitar, rhythmic drums and a grounding bass. It is the perfect closer, heroic and victorious, setting its statement plainly: “When I’m coming through, you’d better move cause I’m gonna break free.” The feeling of having made it through, of coming out the other side, is written into every note. The ideal ending to a record built on exactly that feeling.
To Hell And Back is DES ROCS‘ most ambitious and fully realised work yet. Theatrical, cinematic, fired up and unrelenting. It takes the sonic world of the classics and drives them forward into a sharp and modern piece. This is rock ‘n’ roll for the fighters, the dreamers and the survivors, those who’ve stared down the darkness, made it through, and lived to tell the tale.
Rating: 8/10
To Hell And Back is set for release on June 12th via Sumerian Records.
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