Santa Cruz – Santa Cruz (2015)

Comprised of 80% talent and 20% attitude, Finland’s Santa Cruz keep the Glam Metal flame alive with their superbly catchy music and intense stage presence. With the greats of the genre getting older and older and (finally) retiring from the scene, it is ups to bands like Steel Panther and Santa Cruz to keep this part of musical history alive and the Finns are doing a great job in keeping up with their part. In their self-titled sophomore release, the band takes their sound one step further with richer music that further develops their sound.

Opening with the hyper catchy “Bonafide Heroes”, we get a certain Bon Jovi vibe from the singer/guitarist Archie. Of course there are killer guitar solos and excellent show-off parts in this song, but the kicker is that nothing sound extremely retro or copied, but rather the band has made it their own and further expanded it with current musical trends and styles. As the insane guitar leads keep appearing on tracks like “Velvet Rope” and “My Remedy”, the band quickly establishes a high-octane mood with their superb music. Johnny and Archie do a killer job in delivering amazing guitar sections in this release.

Playing on the cheesy side of things, songs like “6(66) Feet Under”, “Bye Bye Babylon”, “Let Them Burn”, and “Wasted & Wounded” are awesome songs to party and enjoy at show while drinking several dozen beers… just like in the old days. Featuring a more serious tone, songs like “We Are The Ones To Fall”, bring that old-school vibe forward with superb vocal arrangements and epic passages, but in a more refined and modern environment courtesy of the band’s keen eye for detail and perfection.

As the album comes to an end with the power ballad “Can You Feel The Rain”, we can’t stop and think how much we have enjoyed this release, even if we are not huge fans of traditional Glam Metal. We think the key is that Santa Cruz gets elements of that period in time but nicely revamps them with more modern influences and a crystal clear production that makes them engaging to any Metal-listening audience. If you are looking for great Heavy Metal with Glam influences, be sure to check this band out.

Label: Spinefarm Records

Release: March 10th, 2015

Genre: Glam Metal

Country: UK