by Derric Miller
— Managing Editor —
Marco Ferreira is some sort of sonic chameleon. He sang co-lead vocals in Progressive/Symphonic/Power Metal band Venturia, but he also recorded with the Arena Rock/Hard Rock act Goodbye Thrill, and excelled in both genres. Now, he’s releasing a new solo album, and it’s truly solo–all vocals and instruments, that’s Ferreira. So where does his musical heart lay its head at night? That’d be in the pop-friendly Hard Rock world, maybe exactly where it belongs …
Come and Get It kicks the new tires with “Forever More,” a pounding, rhythmic Arena Rock anthem. The riffs chug, and Ferreira’s vocals almost get sultry during the verses, like Jon Bon Jovi used to be able to pull off before he went … wherever the hell he is today. If anything, the lead track is more than merely shadowing–it begins an album with few surprises along the way.
The danceable “We Don’t Need a Plan” is next, and again, it’ll bring you back to the ’80s, maybe Firehouse or even Poison but with a throatier, more honest vocal delivery. It’s just fun, all the way around, this is the bounciest, head-bobbing composition on the album.
Ferriera channels more of an ’80s Dokken vibe at the onset of “Heart Wide Open,” because it’s a darker, more throbbing and menacing track, at least on the verses. The chorus reverts back to a bubblier sound again, almost stopping the song in its tracks when compared to his razored riffs and dynamic leads surrounding it. Still, clearly one of of the highlights. It should be the one you keep coming back to.
“At First Sight” is another stellar trip for a few reasons. The first part is it’s clearly just a strong composition. There’s keys softening the blow, huge backing vocals, some leads that are almost White Lion-ish, and you learn the best part about the album is that while most albums have highs and lows, there’s nothing but consistency from first to last song on Come and Get It.
A well-written song can translate acoustically, and while Ferreira likely writes his drafts on acoustic first, this version of “At First Sight” truly sounds like a different animal. There’s no makeup, hairspray, or clutter to get in the way. It’s pure, Ferreira and his guitar, and sounds actually better than the rockin’ version.
“Things We Said” is the penultimate track, before that aforementioned acoustic song. This one has more attitude than everything else you’ll find here, because it’s a relationship song, and relationships are a trash fire waiting to happen. When he sings, “And I don’t wanna fight no more,” it’s almost like he thinks that’s an option. In that aspect, it’s really a hopeful track.
As mentioned, you’ll rarely find a release without one bad song. This is that release. If there’s any issue, it’s a bit formulaic, you both know and get what you expect. New fans might write it off as another album in this genre, while long-time fans will be happy as all get out. It wouldn’t hurt Ferreira to use those aforementioned chameleon-like skills to pick a few crazier hues and more complicated schemes next time around, but he certainly doesn’t have to change a thing. Either way, Come and Get It succeeds in exactly what it’s trying to do–how many artists can say that?
Genre: Hard Rock
Band:
Marco Ferreira – All instruments and Vocals.
Gus Monsanto – Guest Vocalist on Tracks 2 and 3
Tracklisting:
01 – Forever More
02 – We Don’t Need A Plan
03 – Ashes Into Dust
04 – Heart Wide Open
05 – At First Sight
06 – Higher
07 – Showdown
08 – Things We Said
09 – At First Sight (Acoustic)
Label: Independent
Online:
https://www.facebook.com/marco.ferreira.rocks
Hardrock Haven rating: 
(7.9 / 10)
