First off, I have never heard of the band DEGREED, so I also have no knowledge of their singer ROBIN RED. Well, one thing is sure; I do now! I am very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the songs on his debut album "Robin Red". This is a mix between AOR and Melodic Hard Rock that would have made big waves in the eighties. The influences come from over the place, but the main ingredients for the success are the singer ROBIN RED himself and guitarist Dave Dalone of H.E.A.T. fame. Together they have written all the songs and to say they've done a good job is quite the understatement.

What I specifically like about all of this is that you can hear the past floating by when you listen to the music. A lot of eighties AOR/Melodic Rock comes to mind. For example: on "(I'm a) Bad Habit" the voice is very reminiscent of GLENN HUGHES, and that is at least a very big compliment, as that man isn't called "The Voice of Rock" for nothing. Musically ROBIN RED floats from FOREIGNER to KISS to THE BABYS. I use the term floating deliberately, as it seems that there's a natural flow coming from the way the songs are written, arranged and placed onto the album. It all makes sense.

And, of course, sometimes the songs are just that bit too sweet, making the glaze come away from your teeth, like on "Everlyn". On the other hand, it can be stomping at your eardrums, as "Midnight Rain" proves. This one could have been done by JOHN WAITE, has that exact feel to it. Another track that proves that ROBIN RED knows what he's doing. Even some acoustic stuff like "Reason to Survive" is hitting the right notes, especially when it reminds you of the heyday of EXTREME.

When you play Melodic Rock and/or AOR it is paramount that the production is as perfect as can be. That side is covered as well. The sound is crisp, clear and open, but heavy enough to give it some oomph. So, the only conclusion I can come to is that ROBIN RED has delivered one cracking debut album that should entice any proper Melodic Rock and AOR fan into giving this a thorough chance for "Robin Red" to work its way into their music cabinets or streaming playlist. I can guarantee you that you won't be disappointed.