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On disc: Demon Drive



- ??? - Claudia Ehrhardt - 5 stars
- Heroes - Katja Henning - 7 stars
- Rock'n'Roll Star - Claudia Ehrhardt - 8 stars









Rock'n'Roll Star

Rock'n'Roll Star
(Barfly Music - 2001)


Some might remember the name from their release in the mid-90's which was called Burn Rubber, others might remember Casanova. Today's Demon Drive is something of both. Demon Drive these days is Michael Voss (ex-Mad Max, Casanova) and Jochen Mayer (bs; ex-Casanova) who kinda continue what Casanova was. Now joint by two new faces, guitarist Thorsten Koehne and drummer Frank Kraus. Also these days it's simple rock, no longer hard rock or whatever Casanova's music was called. And this kind of rock doesn't need a big, bombastic production and so they decided to do a production in the tradition of the 70's rock acts. But songs like Testify or Renegade don't need this big production, the songs stand on their own. With the Kiss cover Sure Know Something they chose a track which fits to this album and shows that this track doesn't need a big Kiss-style production!
Unusual is the other cover version, a track from 70's rock queen Suzie Quadro, a real rocking number. For that song Demon Drive got Lee Aaron who was very known in the 80's and later kinda disappeared. On this song Lee proof that she is still a hot singer.
For sure there will be someone who thinks that there is no more interest for this kind of music, but rock won't die! Also this album proofs that musical talent is what music keeps alive and that technique and production can't turn a bad song into a good one!


8 stars

Claudia Ehrhardt
 

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Heroes

Heroes
(Barfly Music - 1999)


Starting with some spoken words (Prologue) they kicked off the first track Time Machine. A rocking hard rock tune with a catchy chorus. With Going Underground and Farewell Thunderchild some new tunes follow. But some songs hard rock fans will already know, coz 4 song were already released on the Japan-only release of Casanova's Heroes. In case you want to know the reasons, check the interview I did with Demon Drive and which you'll find in our interview section!
In a nutshell due to fact that some members left they had to change the name and so with new members the old tracks been re-recorded and new ones done. One this one they included some new sound elements.
Actually I have to say that I like the Casanova release more and my personal highlights are tracks like Heroes, Star and Stranded. Btw, on Dominoes you can hear Jean Beauvoir singing. Not a bad album, but....


5 stars

Claudia Ehrhardt
 

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Heroes

Heroes
(Breaker Records - 2000)


A bit complicated.... Casanova is now Demon Drive. But it's not that they just renamed the band, there have been a line-up change... Actually it's just Michael Voss and some new guys. In Japan Heroes is a Casanova release while it is released elsewhere as Demon Drive and with a different track list for legal issues. Musically they haven't changed much, so everybody who was into Casanova will like Demon Drive. They have fast rockers like Time Machine, Sex Is An Alien, Heroes and Stranded as well as slower ones like Star and Heaven Know. It get's groovy with Going Underground. A nice mix and it's great to get such a melodic rock album!


7 stars

Katja Henning
(translation: Claudia Ehrhardt)
 

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