THUNDER is a rock band that was founded in London in 1989. The fantastic part of this is that while the guys have been playing on and off for years, they feel that their best music is yet to come. This is the sign of true musicianship to never stop learning and never stop pushing the boundaries. Their latest work "Rip It Up" comes in with eleven tracks and a listening time of about 52 minutes.

Track one starts, "No One Gets Out Alive", what a heavy bass, rhythmic drums, and a new meet old guitar riffage. The vocals are clean, and similar to that of 80's Metal, except toned down and they have a little Chris Cornell to them. The beginning of the track is the end of the tracks originality, sadly. While the solo at about 2:40 is sexy and creates interest, the rest of the track is the same from the first second to the last.  "Rip It Up", track two and the albums name sake, is much more Southern Bluesy-rock. The groove is something that I would hear on my local Classic Rock station. The vocals add an interesting twist to the track. They fit perfectly with the tune, but it's odd, however, completely satisfying. I like the bit of originality that is found throughout this tracks entirety.

Track three, "She Likes the Cocaine", is one of those more trashy tracks that has the classic 'the woman doesn't have her shit together and is in to drugs'. The track musically, however, has a depth to it. It's another more Blues meets Southern Rock track, except this time, we get a bit of a glimpse of the gospel within. This track has some interesting guitar work as well as drum work embedded under the other really good elements within. While the lyrics are about a sleazy lifestyle, the musicianship is intelligent and thoughtful in here.

"Right From The Start", track four, is the albums love ballad with bellowing vocals and more acoustic sound. It is light and fluffy and is something that tugs at the heartstrings. I really enjoy the vocals in here. They have a little grit to them, but can still meet a range that propels this track from good to great. The electric guitar at about 2:15 brings in a phenomenal contrast from the less electric overall sound. There is another bout of these guitars towards the end giving this track a powerful oomph.  Track six, "Heartbreak Hurricane" is another track that is a mixture of acoustic and electric. The start of this one is something that I would guess to be more Progressive, but with the addition of the acoustic as they are, that progressive tone dwindled quickly. The drums are worth mentioning in this track. They hold a powerful rhythm for this track that if not executed perfectly, the track would fall apart.

"The Enemy Inside", track nine, has a more modern day Rock feel to it. The vocals a tad different but in an interesting new twist way, instead of a distractive way. The Hard Rock feeling here, completes the track. All of the elements work nicely together and its evident there was thought added to this track. The final track "There's Always A Loser" starts off a little more Poppy than my taste, especially for a final track. However, I do see the appeal of this track. It's a track of lessons learned and the good and the bad. It's about choosing to win humbly and lose gracefully, except that no one ever does that. It's a slower and lower track that while a bit Poppy ends the track on a good note.

"Rip It Up" is exactly how it sounds. "If you don't like your life, don't put up with it, change it." This is exactly how the album feels. Make the changes you need to be where you want to be. While on the lighter side, THUNDER's latest release is something that most Rockers would appreciate. Check "Rip It Up" out.