RECKER is a band that plays old school Heavy Metal; the kind that has been popular possibly the last three years of the seventies but more likely the early eighties before hair metal. It could fit in well in that six or seven year period Rick Recker is the man the band is named after and he is also the lead vocalist. Rick's voice is perfect for this genre of music. Most of the music is mid tempo.

"Three Time Loser" (although it isn't written that way), that is the name of the song) starts things off and is the fastest song on the album. It's a song about a loser that always gets into trouble, and most probably prison. It's a very good song and reminds me fondly of the genre I said it belongs to. The eighties were a magical time for heavy metal. 1983 is when it hit the big time with QUIET RIOT charting at number one. OZZY had a great album, as did MOTLEY CRUE and KISS. RECKER sounds like it would fit in perfectly with those releases."Shine On" is probably their attempt at a hit song. I don't really like it that much, but I can tell it was groomed for that particular reason. I am sure the fans will love it. I am a bit jaded in my old age. That said it would make a great opener. I am trying to figure out who the guitar tone reminds me of, most likely it is SAXON. I always liked their sound. The lyrics are surprisingly good. I can tell they took their time trying to get things right. No rush job to be found here. Most of the songs are very catchy. These are songs one can easily sing along with after you've learned them. These songs want to be learned. Of course, I am just projecting that thought, but it does seem like it. If you are into the older heavy metal like the New Wave of British Heavy Metal of the late seventies and early eighties, you will like this a lot. "On the Run" is also catchy and has the best solo on the album. "Tragedy Or Triumph" might sound like the name of a MANOWAR or RHAPSODY OF FIRE album, but it is nothing like them. RECKER fills this release with a lot of dual leads on guitar and they sound great. Whoever mixed the album did a good job. It's not as easy to produce a good solid sound for an entire album as one would imagine, Even in the 21st century, people still manage to screw it up.

Overall, if you are a fan of the classic metal of the eighties, you should give this album a chance. If you are into modern sounding metal, then you probably will want to skip this one. At the very least, visit their Myspace page and check them out. In a world crowded with new bands, this one, in my opinion, deserves a shot.