UK band RICOCHET was formed way back in 1975, but apart from a heralded single in 1980 the band didn’t manage to put their mark on the then emerging and steadily more popular metal scene back then. At some point the band broke up, but in 2010 they deiced to have another go, and it would appear that they have spent the time well in the five years that have gone by since then.

That if this the single Wake Up, scheduled for an April 2015 release through fledgling label The Lynchburg Music Group, is anything to go by. It’s an intriguing affair that develops in cycles, opening as a vibrant but delicate blues song that explodes into metal at the 2 minute mark, and in subsequent phases growing ever more intense and vibrant with an effective crunchy guitars and subtly dramatic light toned keyboard motif as the dominant features, a distinct and driving bass motif beneath, and high quality, melodic lead vocals that truly elevates the overall experience.

In the world of 2015 I guess Ricochet will be described as hard rock rather than metal, but this blues-tinged variety of vintage hard rock / heavy metal is a truly compelling experience, a haunting and actually fairly sophisticated affair that may have it’s stylistic roots in NWoBHM but the end result on this occasion showcase a band that have developed their sound from those roots into something somewhat more complex, and all the more alluring due to it.

Ricochet plan to launch an album towards the end of 2015 according to the press release that followed this promo. If that production is of the same quality as this single, fans of hard rock with a sophisticated edge have something to look forward to.

My rating: 100/100