Born in 2011, through the passions of Ros Crash and Phil Hill, 17 CRASH feels like a throwback to a better place and time, musically speaking. From their own promotional literature comes the statement "embracing the old school with the modern new breed"; and listening to their third release, "Through Hell and Back," I can honestly attest to the validity of that statement. The band is "eighties heavy," with all the swagger, screaming guitars, lofty vocals, and solid pounding bottom end that comes with it. They are also very proficient in their delivery and their craftsmanship. Everyone in the band absolutely
WAILS.

The band hails from Tuscany, in Central Italy, a country that has produced some of the finest music of this genre anywhere around; and these boys are apparently no exception to that trend. Again, I was unsure what to expect when I got this assignment. Again, I am very happy that I did.

"Face to Face" starts us off like an out of control freight train, rolling about 800 miles per hour. The first thing that struck me on this track was just how good the production work of Alessio Lucatti (VISION DIVINE, DEATHLESS LEGACY) was. The record sounds great, with all the instrumentation as crisp and clear as anything I have recently heard. This song features some incredible drum work from Hill, and an incredible guitar solo, full of bends and speedy runs, but very melodic and on point. It would be hard to imagine a better opener.

Moving into the third cut, and still shaking my head at the pyrotechnics of the first, "Change Your Way," is a change of pace. The song opens with an off-timed guitar and drum lick that continues through the verse. At first listen, I thought I felt a bit of influence from SHOTGUN MESSIAH; and listening further just helped to reaffirm that thought. The guitars and bottom end work very well on this oddly timed gem, and if I have a complaint with the song at all, it is that at a little over three and a half minutes, it just doesn't last long enough.

There are several highlights throughout this release, so my ire at the length of "Change Your Way" didn't last too long. From the bluesy intro of "Bite the Freedom" (which features a tasty change up in the pre-chorus), through the effective ballad "Don't Surrender," all the way to the HEAVY "Voice In The Night," which is probably the most modern sounding song on the record; there isn't a falter I can find.

Like the artwork in Florence, guys...let's keep this shit alive.