Band:	Smith/Kotzen
Album:	Smith/Kotzen
Style:	Hard rock, Heavy metal
Release date:	March 2021

01. Taking My Chances
02. Running
03. Scars
04. Some People
05. Glory Road
06. Solar Fire
07. You Don't Know Me
08. I Wanna Stay
09. 'Til Tomorrow

A good slab of melodic hard rock that lacks staying power.

Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen are two names I am all too familiar with. Smith, one of the guitarists of the iconic Iron Maiden, is no stranger to side projects and collaborations. From his all too brief ASAP (Adrian Smith and Project) to his grunge-tinged metal band in the 90s called Psycho Motel, Smith has been known to dip his toes in different musical waters from time to time. He was even in Bruce Dickinson's solo band for a short stint (the albums Accident Of Birth and The Chemical Wedding are mandatory metal listens as far as I'm concerned). Richie is also known for his many musical endeavor, which are just as varied, if not more so. From his younger years as a Shrapnel label shredder to his tenures in Vertu (a jazz-fusion outfit), Poison, Mr. Big and The Winery Dogs, Kotzen has shown he can be just as versatile, if not more so.

So how does this new project from these two varied virtuosos sound? In short, good but not great; the songs are solid, but outside of two or three songs they lack the hooks that would keep a listener coming back for more. The sound itself is a solid build of bluesy, soulful, 70s-inspired hard rock made famous by all those early 90s throwback alternative rock bands: a sound that harkens back to those halcyon years of rock's prime. Smith and Kotzen complement each other very well in both the guitar department and vocally. Smith has a husky-voiced tone that is reminiscent of that style of baritone favored by the grunge bands of yesteryear, while Kotzen's voice is a soulful, blue-eyed soul tenor style ala Steve Perry. As for their playing, Smith's style is of the same vein as the shreddy-yet-melodic stylings of Gary Moore or Paul Gilbert, while Kotzen is a perfect blend of Shrapnel shred and soul-inspired funk; these contrasting styles allow first-time listeners to quickly discern which solo belongs to whom.

The performances are top-notch with guitar and bass work split equally between the two with Kotzen handling the majority of the drumming. Tones are warm and the production is in that 'goldilocks' zone of not too much or too little polish that won't fatigue its listeners. Lyrics are competent but again, nothing really jumps out at you. It's just a shame that all this talent is ultimately wasted due to the lack of memorable moments. We are given nearly 50 minutes of material that comes off as safe, enjoyable background noise that unfortunately won't end up on many 'best of the year' lists come December.

If you are a humungous fan of these artists or the style in which this album is rooted in, give it a try, for everyone else, just stick to the classics.

Best songs: "Taking Chances", "Scars", and "Solar Fire".