TYKETTO came together in the year 1987 and are based out of New York. They can be counted as one of the countless Glam/Hair Metal bands that sprouted in the mid 80's.  The band was assembled by Danny Vaughn, former singer for WAYSTED, a Hard Rock band started by UFO bass guitarist Pete Way. The band released their debut album, "Don't Come Easy", in the year 1990, which included a fairly successful single "Forever Young". They released their second album, "Strength in Numbers", in the year 1994 via CMC International, after Geffen Records rejected it. By then, the writing was clear on the wall for bands that played the 80's sound by the arrival and subsequent success of Grunge and Alternative music. They disbanded in the year 1996 due to failing sales and drastic change in the music scene in the mid 90's although they have performed since then for a handful of gigs. The band released their fourth full-length album, "Reach", through Frontier Records in 2016.

The first track of the album,"Reach", has a furious beginning and slows down during the verse part. It seems like an almost pop-ish track with a sedate chorus and is heavily organ backed. A pre-requisite lead guitar solo thrown in the mix makes it a very clichéd track. "Letting Go" is a ballad and has an acoustic beginning that reminded me of the way "Mama, I'm Coming Home" starts. Clocking just over 5 minutes, it is a unhurried track that shows off Danny Vaughn's vocal chops. Mid way through the song, the drums kick in, but not before a soaring guitar solo that is steeped in the 80's sound. "Remember My Name" has a solid beat, with a harmonica backed beginning and at its end, and is a bit on the heavier side with Heavy Metal influences. As every other song, the band uses backing vocals quite abundantly. The lead vocals are powerful and the chorus is memorable. "The Run", is the last track on the album and it starts off tediously, with another acoustic bit. An almost BON JOVI sounding track, there is a heavier power chord based middle section. The song is a classic Hard Rock driving song that I thought was late by about 24 years. Nevertheless it's an uplifting song and it rounds off the album nicely on a high note.

To be entirely honest, I had never even heard of this band, let alone their music, therefore, I had no idea what to expect. The thing that struck me was the production value of the record and the level of competency of the musicianship, which I thought, was excellent. And then the vocals of Danny Vaughn don't disappoint at all and that's an understatement. This is a very strong and well thought out record. A great example of a Classic Rock album with modern sounds, this is a pleasant album to listen to. There is nothing not to like about this album, but one wonders whether they would be relevant in this day and age. The only thing that I could find fault in was that the lyrical content of most songs was not really up to expectation. I guess its no accident that they released this album through the Frontier Records stable due to the fact that this record label has loads of bands from the 80's in their roost. Make no mistake about it, these guys know what they are doing and I hope this talented band gets the recognition they deserve for this ultimately sterling record.<