ALBUM REVIEW: Heavier Than A Stone – The Hornets
Friday 16th July has been a long time coming for THE HORNETS. Formed in September 2016 by brothers Stefano and Alberto Francia out of sheer boredom and quickly joined by Giovanni Artioli on second guitar and Andrea Rovituso on drums, the Italian quartet took their love of the 70s rock scene and pumped it straight through amps and out into the world. A number of live shows and single releases from 2017 onwards came about, but then it was time to produce something more substantial than they had done previously. Thus, Heavier Than a Stone was born, the group’s debut album, to be released on the aforementioned Friday via Go Down Records.
Their mutual love of a musical period now dating back half a century is evident right from the moment opening track Don’t Talk About Love comes in with its THIN LIZZY guitar tone. This isn’t just classic rock, this is the beginnings of it, and although THE HORNETS don’t stray too far from this area of music, they do everything they can to cover as many subgenres as possible within the half hour run time that this album offers. Superman (Nietzsche) embodies rockabilly legends STRAY CATS with its 12 bar blues guitar line and infectious swagger; the same can be said of penultimate track Rockstar S Syndrome, which adds a bit of stomp in for good measure on top.
Get Out (…Baby Get Out), on the other hand, has it roots firmly in the UK, with a riff straight out of the STATUS QUO scrapbook underpinning it, although it’s let down a touch by the closing drum fill, which is a little pointless. The Best brings out elements of KISS‘ formative days and the solo is in line with the work of LYNYRD SKYNYRD; that country feel can also be heard in Fighting Man along with the ROLLING STONES. The changes are subtle, of course, but they allow for just enough diversity to avoid Heavier Than A Stone to end up becoming one-dimensional and ploddy.
What this album doesn’t allow for, unfortunately, is a memorability factor. Sure, it’s catchy in places and you’ll pick up choruses like the one in Female Creed easily, but they’ll only last as long as the song does; there’s nothing to keep it there. There’s also a lack of conviction; THE HORNETS, despite their name, haven’t put a lot of sting into this record – it feels safe and pleasant, with none of the edge that other bands have got within them. Furthermore, closing track Not So Easy starts well enough – the backing vocals have a touch of BON JOVI about them – but it peters out into little more than a recorded jam session that takes up more than half the length; an album closer should have something about it to really gift-wrap what’s come before it in style, and therefore this feels a missed opportunity.
Could THE HORNETS be a successful rock and roll band? There’s certainly potential within Heavier Than A Stone, for sure, but if they want to really stand out in future, they’ll need to throw caution to the wind and give their songs a lot more attitude. Right now, although showing flashes of brilliance, there’s not enough going on here to cause too much of a stir.
Rating: 5/10
Heavier Than A Stone is out now via Go Down Records.
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