Album Review: Drive by The Defiants

The Defiants are back with their third album Drive, their first release in four years and it is worth the wait. Bruno Ravel and Paul Laine are a match made in melodic rock heaven when it comes to songwriting, and they have yet again knocked this one out of the park. A perfectly curated tracklist mixed with hard rockers and power ballads, Drive feels as though it came straight out of the late 1980s in the best ways. Big hooks and catchy choruses paired with Laine’s soaring vocals and Rob Marcello’s melodic guitar solos, The Defiants have created an album that fans will not be disappointed by. 

Opening the album with the first single Hey Life, it kicks off with a heavy guitar riff that grips your attention within seconds. An upbeat track with a punchy chorus, Hey Life has a modern, but nostalgic feel to it. It keeps things new while sticking to the well known Defiants sound that fans love. Following is the anthemic Go Big or Go Home, a track that’ll have your fist pumping in the air. A captivating chorus and a tasteful guitar solo full of bends and pinches, this track is meant to be turned up to eleven. 19 Summertime is up next and it is the perfect track to have blasting in your car with the windows down or on the beach. It captivates the vibe of summer perfectly with its upbeat tempo and melodic melodies, the nostalgic sound being the cherry on top. 

The uplifting themes of the album continue with its next track, What Are We Waiting For. A keyboard intro that resembles Journey’s ‘Separate Ways’ and a modern hard rock sound, What Are We Waiting For has a unique tone that allows it to stand out in the best ways. Falling halfway through the album, Miracle introduces the power ballad to the album. A heartwarming love song with keyboards, clean guitar tones, and harmonies. A memorable guitar solo tying the entire track together perfectly. Kicking things back into high gear, Against The Grain and So Good are up next. Two hard hitting tracks that’ll bring you back to the 1980s with their heavy guitar riffs, powerful vocal performances and thumping drum beats. The Defiants know how to grab your attention and Against The Grain and So Good do exactly that. 

My personal favorite song on the album Love Don’t Live Here Anymore, a guitar driven power ballad, follows. With its strong lyrical content and a fantastic vocal delivery by Laine, this track is a must listen. Ravel and Laine have been producing powerful ballads since the late 1980s, both in Danger Danger and Laine’s solo work, and the ballads on this album stay consistently on par with the quality of their earlier work. Similar in tone but with a fresh spin on them to keep fans excited. Both Miracle and Love Don’t Live Here Anymore are the perfect additions to the album, not watering down the hard rock sound in any way. 

Closing out the tracklist are Another Time Another Place, a song that stays consistent to the the slow tempo of Love Don’t Live Here Anymore, The Night To Remember and Nothing’s Gonna Stop Me Now, both high energy tracks that end the album in the perfect way, leaving you wanting more. The Defiants have created an album that is solid from top to bottom, continuously stepping up their game with each release. Many hard rock albums have been and are being released this year, however this is a definite top contender for best rock album of the year.