A solid debut with some real moments of class.

A Hard Rock band from Athens, Silked And Stained have apparently gained some recognition in their native country for 1987-1992 era Hard Rock. Despite the mature sound, they were apparently only formed in 2013 and this is their debut album.

While opener 'Bombshell' is not going to win any awards for innovation, it is a well crafted track that sounds a little like early Germanic Metal that brings to mind the Scorpions. 'Hold My Hand' is more of an AOR-like track, but never really gets to the devastatingly awesome chorus expected for this type of song, nevertheless, it's pleasant enough to the ears of someone that appreciates this genre. 'Much Love' is a far better song and whilst it could be a little formulaic for some ears, it was certainly an offering that I enjoyed with nice keyboards and some great Falsetto at the end that I would have liked to have heard earlier in the song.

'Anytime Anywhere' has a lovely polished feel like any big American ballad and it's one of the best songs on the album. 'Lonely Road' and 'Believe' both have some nice guitar making them very worthwhile listens, whereas 'Rock Star' is a bit kitsch and probably too Neanderthal for some. 'Born To Run' is also a bit run of the mill, but the saving grace of both latter tracks is some decent guitar work.

Some people might ask why plough a furrow that has been well ploughed by countless superb bands before? The answer is for the sheer enjoyment of this genre. Some of the songs are a bit basic at the moment – e.g. 'She's Not There' – but the band display some signs of promise that means we should certainly encourage them to carry on as this is a solid debut with some real moments of class.

Dawn Osborne