by Franco Cerchiari
— Sr. Columnist —
Fronted by the duo of Steve S.R. (vocals, bass, guitar and keyboards) and Andy McCormick (drums, percussion) Rain Or Shine have dropped their sophomore offering, the excellent The Darkest Part Of Me on Perris Records. With a mix of all the guitars, and vocal harmonies that made such 1980’s bands like Firehouse, Danger Danger, Slaughter and Giant radio mainstays and the driving melodies of the more modern flair of Pop Evil, Sick Puppies, Royal Bliss, or Deepfield, The Darkest Part Of Me is one damn fine record.
Heavy yet melodic, the pulsating, thumping rhythms drive the songs forward, while short, staccato guitar riffs and solos poke its way through the music, as frequent vocal harmonies float above the songs and make these songs instantly likeable. Great chord structures (as heard on the fantastic CD highlight “Top of the World,”) keep the song in check, but allow the guitar ample to time to be an integral part of the songwriting, while soft keyboards stay comfortably in the background. The vocals range from the harmonic to rapid, to the hard to the soft. Sometimes within the span of a single song. For such a young band, the boys of Rain Or Shine seem to have the songwriting pen firmly in check, but still allow for experimentalism to give certain songs certain charm and its own individuality, (as heard on “New Love.”) The band’s influences can be heard, as the songs ranged from the Hard Rocking (“Shot Of LIfe,”) to the almost Progressive (“We Only Live Once,”) to the soothing sounds and layered vocals of Toto as heard on “Around The Corner.”
Opening with the title track, an acoustic guitar, piano and hushed, whispered vocals fill a great intro, but within a few moments heavy handed drums, chugging guitars change the pace of this song, and soon this becomes a great melodic hard rocker. As has already been said, “Top of the World,” is a killer, intense rocker, that during the bridge into the chorus the vocals climb heavenward, and an instant reach for the volume knob is made. Much like the unfortunately now defunct hard rocking band Overloaded did so many times on their excellent 2007 release, Regeneration, it is the guitars that make “Top of the World” a must listened to song. Also great was the pulsating “New Love,” the head nodding vibe of “Around the Corner,” with its pressing organ, the and need-to-hear-it-louder “Shot Of Life” with its heavy use of vocal harmonies was perfect. The riffs of “We All Back Down,” the easy “Back On Track,” and the closing track “We Only Live Once,” with its strong lyrics area all songs that need to be heard.
When a band can merge melody and strong musicianship, this is a band to pay attention to. A love for the music of decades past, and a strong desire to keep in check with the music of today is what makes this such a strong record. A tangible talent is felt throughout The Darkest Part Of Me, and in a time or two personal messages come through by way of its lyrics (pay attention to “We Only Live Once.”) A follow up to their 2013 debut Seize the Night, which was met with strong reviews, this too should make many a musical journalist sit up and take notice. Naming such influences as Toto, Led Zeppelin, the legendary Tower of Power and the multi-talented Steve Wilson (Porcupine Tree, No Man, and the always great Blackfield,) are part of this band’s songwriting repertoire, and it is a hope that future releases by Rain Or Shine are as strong as this one.
Genre: Melodic Hard Rock
Band Members:
Steve S.R. – vocals, keyboards, bass, guitar
Andy McCormick – drums, percussion
Track Listing
The Darkest Part of Me
Top Of The World
New Love
Where Are You Now
Around The Corner
Shot Of Life
We All Back Down
Back On Track
Into The Storm
We Only Live Once
Label: Perris Records
Band Website: www.facebook.com/rainbandshine
Hardrock Haven rating: 
(8.5 / 10)
