The four-piece Rock band SCARVED formed in Belgium in 2012. Their goal as a band was to keep the spirit of Classic Rock alive, but in their own particular way. Prior to coming together as a quartet, each band member had experience in previous bands, such as TAILS BLUE, ORACLE, and POLITICUS OF EXPERIENCE. The album "Loadstone" contains eleven tracks. Let's get to some of the highlights. "Naughty Reflexes" has a down and dirty sound, with a groove running through it. Caro's voice is rich and full, mostly in the alto range. The harmonies in the chorus are nice and bright. "Sweet Surrender" is a six minute, fast-moving track, with a riff that could have been on an early JUDAS PRIEST album. The distortion is there but not as thick as you would hear in heavier music. The level fits the sound well however.

The title track, "Loadstone," has a riff routed in major chords, giving it that positive and yearning quality. It has a mid-tempo pace and focuses mostly on the vocal delivery. "Garden of Eden" opens with either a mandolin or acoustic guitars done in that style. It has a middle-Eastern type of pattern that is soon echoed by distorted guitar. So far this is pretty unique from the other songs in the album and I always like change of pace like this. "Heart of Rock 'N Roll" is a soft little ballad of sorts. The reverb in the guitars sets the perfect ambiance for the track, and the simulated strings give it a rich, orchestral quality. A guitar solo done with just the right amount of notes adds to the sweetness here, as well as Caro's soprano vocal performance. "Convicted Woman" has a galloping guitar riff in 4/4 that reminds me of some early ZEPPELIN, particularly "Immigrant Song."

"Maiden Voyage" is led by a charged bass line and a riff that just moves your foot in a tapping rhythm, as I found myself reaching out and grabbing air drum sticks and pounding away with the beat. Overall, I found some quite pleasing songs here on the album, and you can hear the band's personality infused in their music. The challenge here is coming up with material that is based on the classics in the past that we have all heard before, but keeping your own unique stamp on that sound so that it stays fresh. I think what they accomplished here was close to that, and I believe they have the potential for some staying power, certainly from Caro's voice, and would look forward to hearing more of their music in the future.