{"id":94776,"date":"2022-07-22T00:00:30","date_gmt":"2022-07-21T23:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/?p=94776"},"modified":"2022-08-08T17:00:06","modified_gmt":"2022-08-08T16:00:06","slug":"album-review-lessmann-voss-rock-is-our-religion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/album-review-lessmann-voss-rock-is-our-religion\/","title":{"rendered":"LESSMANN \/ VOSS – Rock Is Our Religion (2022) | Album \/ EP Reviews @ Metal Forces Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

LESSMANN \/ VOSS
Rock Is Our Religion<\/strong><\/span>
\n\"\"
\nAtomic Fire (2022)<\/span>
Rating: 8\/10<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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German vocalists \/ multi-instrumentalists Claus Lessmann (ex-Bonfire) and Michael Voss (ex-Casanova \/ Mad Max) are no strangers to us rock fans. This talented twosome worked together in Phantom 5 and now they have returned to front this delicious hard rock opus.<\/p>\n

Combining classic and modern rock aesthetics this is a record sure to appeal to anyone with a penchant for catchy, melodious rock tracks which are bright and breezy in their approach. A prime example of this being \u2018Smoke Without A Fire\u2019 which exudes a summery, AOR vibe without ever really crossing into anything too metallic. But it\u2019s the chorus which digs in instantly as the rich vocals flow like golden rivers.<\/p>\n

However, while the album is extremely upbeat and glossy there are some welcoming variances. \u2018Look Around\u2019 is anthemic and crisp, but through it runs a hardier riff and strut, and, dare I say it, a lash of funky, reggae-styled pulsating before leading to the lush, celebratory chorus. Meanwhile, \u2018Slow Dance\u2019 nods towards Queen\u2019s mighty \u2018Somebody To Love\u2019 as it sways emotively up to its sugary chorus that drifts sweetly.<\/p>\n

Yes, some may find the album a little too radio friendly, like a lightweight fantasy dragged from the latter part of the 80s, but if you like what is decidedly laid-back, simple and occasionally (although unintentionally) cheese-ridden lyrics then there are far worse places you could be.<\/p>\n

Rock Is Our Religion<\/em> is instantaneous and joyous. It brims with positive energy, flickers with exquisite solos and at times simmers nicely to maintain a balance of elegance, particularly with the fluffy \u2018Take My Heart And Run\u2019 with its simple bouncing piano.<\/p>\n

\u2018Medicine Man\u2019 is one of the heavier numbers with its thudding percussion and gritty vocal sneer. But despite its earthy feel, it\u2019s a track that retains that level of ambience even when building towards its chorus, while \u2018Runaway Days\u2019 begins like a lost Donnie Vie bubblegum rock number as it swaggers pleasantly.<\/p>\n

There is a veritable feast of tracks to consume here. \u2018Stay\u2019 features more fiery guitar work and boasts a killer melodious hook, \u2018What Feels Right\u2019 has a strong 80s sprawl, even with the piano behind the guitar work, \u2018Fight For Our Love\u2019 nods along nicely as a semi-ballad, and there\u2019s even an excellent cover rendition of America\u2019s \u2018Sister Golden Hair\u2019. <\/p>\n

For me, personally, more tracks such as the steamy \u2018Something Is Better Than Nothing\u2019 with its grittier edge would have been welcomed, but the album remains a sophisticated and beneath it all, a reflective experience headed by two veterans of the melodic rock \/ metal scene that have produced a finely tuned collection of pleasing hard rock tunes that steer decidedly more towards the lighter end of the spectrum.<\/p>\n

Neil Arnold<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LESSMANN \/ VOSSRock Is Our Religion Atomic Fire (2022)Rating: 8\/10 German vocalists \/ multi-instrumentalists Claus Lessmann (ex-Bonfire) and Michael Voss (ex-Casanova \/ Mad Max) are no strangers to us rock fans. This talented twosome worked together in Phantom 5 and now they have returned to front this delicious hard rock opus. Combining classic and modern […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,4925],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-94776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-album-ep-reviews","category-lessmann-voss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94776"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94776\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94777,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94776\/revisions\/94777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}