Metal Odyssey > Heavy Metal Music Blog

SHAKRA – Watch out… before you dive your eardrums into this new Shakra studio album Back On Track, bear in mind this veteran band is aiming to kick your Hard Rockin’ and Heavy Metalin’ ass! I just cannot resist warning you all. When an album of 13 songs ROCKS this HARD, HEAVY and MEMORABLE, by God I am gonna raise some noize about it. Released on May 3rd, 2011 via AFM Records, Back On Track has Shakra on track for worldwide Hard Rock domination. Glory be to Metal, this album is a non-stopper… I just can’t hit the stop button when it is playing. I could have easily taken the easy road, by just giving this album a three word review like this: buy this album. Alas, I have to rant and rave about Back On Track.

Based in Switzerland, Shakra is following up on their last album Everest, which soared to #4 on the Swiss album charts back in 2009. I honestly see Shakra making gigantic strides in the States, with enough promotion and (hopefully) consistent radio play, be it FM or satellite. Shakra is tailor made for the Hard & Heavy Rock that makes 80’s old schoolers proud and play with enough relevance for todays younger generation to dig… big time. In a Metal nutshell, Shakra caught my undivided Hard Rockin’ attention from the opener B True B You to the unbelievable closer: Stonger Than Ever. This last song puts the thunder stamp on this album where I’m left muttering… holy crap that was one hell of a goooood listen!

Shakra now has a new lead singer with John Prakesh, (replacing Mark Fox) and he is damn good. Damn good. There are moments where I hear some Marc Storace (influence?) in John’s vocals, only don’t think for one second that John Prakesh isn’t an original. His vocals are a reminder to me, that a band can be elevated by it’s front man. This guy sings the Rockin’ daylights out of this album, Metal be thy name and hallelujah to all. Shakra plays as a cohesive unit, with their energy and Heavy Rock spirit coming through LOUD and very clear on Back On Track. Blazing is the most adequate adjective to describe the sound and total vibe I receive from Shakra, these guys are running on all Hard & Heavy Rock cylinders with Back On Track.

Revved up guitar leads and Hard Rockin’ riffs? Check. Hooks? Check. Melodic and memorable songs? Check. Pumped up chorus? Check. Thumpin’ rhythm section? Check. Psyche-you-out sonic thrills by the minute? Um… check again. Look, I would never praise an album that is the equivalent of bird crap on a windshield. Shakra has created an album that is the equivalent of a Hard & Heavy Rock celebration. This celebration called Back On Track MUST be shared to all fellow Hard Rock and Heavy Metal fans alike. Shakra for all intents and purposes, have smacked it down and let it loose with Back On Track. Spread the Hard Rock word: SHAKRA.

* Recorded and produced with Shakra’s own guitarist Thom Blunier, at Power Ride Studios.

* Back On Track entered the official Swiss Album Charts at #2, the highest charting SHAKRA album ever. Back On Track entered the German Album Charts at #84.

* Back On Track is the eighth studio album from SHAKRA.

SHAKRA:

John Prakesh – vocals

Thom Blunier – lead guitar

Thomas Muster – rhythm guitar

Dominik Pfister – bass

Roger Tanner – drums

Track Listing:

B True B You

I’ll Be

Crazy

Back On Track

When I See You

MMTWGR

Yesterday’s Gone

Someday

Eternity

Lonesomeness

Unspoken Truth

Brand New Day

Stronger Than Ever

* For more info on SHAKRA, click on the links below:

http://www.shakra.ch

http://www.afm-records.de

LONG LIVE SHAKRA.

Stone.

This entry was posted on May 13, 2011 at 12:36 am and is filed under Hard Rock, hard rock albums, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags back on track album review, Hard Rock, hard rock albums 2011, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums 2011, metal odyssey, rock music news, shakra, switzerland. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.