Review by JD on March 23, 2014.

Today’s radio friendly hard/modern rock is not what I grew up on. More flash with huge doses of commercialism, it makes all of it up rather than the rock and roll fire that it had back when. I am not a fan of most of it, considering it a pale comparison to the power of it all but then five guys from Paris France of all places appeared. Describing themselves as heavy stunt rock… Hell Of A Ride.

Crossing influences like Stone Sour, Black Stone Cherry and the heavier sides of Papa Roach (some parts of Australian rockers Rose Tattoo comes to mind as well) with the added pure metallic power of some traditional metal in the early NWOBHM format… these fiery French rockers found way to hard rock glory, and to stand up for their brand of simple yet explosive rock and roll.

Hell Of A Ride have a good punch to them, as well as giving you almost a half album that is nearly an odd concept album. I love songs like the testosterone driven "Fast As Lightning" and the beer soaked "Tears And Scars" - bringing the days of driving around in your car with rocking music blaring back. They have included some acoustic versions on to the backside of the album, but they seem out of place and perhaps should have been omitted. If you ignore these useless tracks, the album is a party album to the extreme.

Excluding the acoustic renditions of their songs, Hell Of A Ride has given us a hell of an album for us to enjoy. I hope they release another amazing LP but kindly leaving their acoustic guitars for wooing their wives/girlfriends away from the stage. They can be the one saving grace for all radio rock around the globe – let’s hope they see this, and take strides to overthrow the glut of bad rock. They will be victorious!

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9.5
Atmosphere: 8 (could have been a 10 - lose the acoustic renditions)
Production: 8.5
Originality: 9
Overall: 9

Rating: 8.8 out of 10

Review by Bryan on November 16, 2004.

There are those who say women have no place in metal or hard rock music. But, for every naysayer, there is another who swoons over the sounds of estrogen sailing over blast beats and chainsaw guitars.

Leaves' Eyes singer, Liv Kristine, has a voice to melt even the blackest of hearts, and is no stranger to heavy music. She enjoyed many years of success with industrial-metal outfit, Theatre of Tragedy. Now, she's teamed with members of Atrocity and crafted Lovelorn. It's certainly not going to stir up a brutal, boot-to-your-face pit. Much of the music is ethereal, combining orchestrated effects to create cool and haunting lullabies. But it undeniably has a hard edge, blanketed by the soft breaths of Kristine. Her voice serenades this record, and with hardly any effects used, her natural pipes clearly shine above all else. The guitars function at a perfect parallel to the keyboards. Although at times the distortion is a wee bit too high, making the six-stringer sound too synthetic for its own good. This contrasts the natural, worldly feel the rest of the music is striving for.

The title track and "For Amelie" land soft ripples on your eardrums, while other songs like "The Dream" and "Temptation," rattle things around a bit with some great hooks and grooves. There is a smoking guitar solo in the last track, "Return to Life." But where is anything like it in the other songs?

Lovelorn's lyrics paint the picture of a fantasy/love fable, certainly not what those sitting in dark corners, twitching to the sounds of Burzum immediately look for. But, a lot of metal fans (even those in dark corners) have an affinity to this sort of music. Liv Kristine and Lovelorn will seduce you in ways you never knew possible.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 8
Originality: 9
Overall: 9

Rating: 8.8 out of 10