Reckless Love is one of the many bands I discovered while flipping through the pages of Metal Hammer in the early 2010s. While Revolver only focused on the mainstream and “core” side of things, and Decibel was a hotbed of all things extreme, I relied on Metal Hammer for filling me in on the euro side of things. It was through them that I got into bands like Enforcer, Michael Monroe, and the aforementioned subject of today’s review. I downloaded the band’s first two albums, Reckless Love (2010) and Animal Attraction (2011), on my iPod touch and quickly fell in love.
Even at that young age, I didn’t understand how bands who flirted with the glam metal aesthetic like Avenged Sevenfold, Black Veil Brides, and Asking Alexandria became household names among the suburban scene girl set. Yet bands who fully embraced it like Reckless Love and their euro peers were left in the dust stateside. As time went on, I continued to root for Reckless Love, revisiting them with each subsequent release and bumping now modern day classics like “Wild Touch” and “Born to Break Your Heart”. Fast forward 6 years since the release of their last album and everyone’s favorite band of fashionable Finns are back with their most eye opening album yet, Turborider.
Much has changed in the time that’s passed since the release of the last Reckless Love album. Culturally, there’s been a bit of an 80s renaissance, from TV (Stranger Things, Cobra Kai) to music (Miley Cyrus, The Weeknd) and more. Instead of making another glam metal meets AOR effort that’s par the course, Reckless Love has fully co-opted the synthwave aesthetic. The result is, as they’d say in the good ol’ days, “totally rad, dude”! From the opening pounder that is the title track, I knew I was in for an old school ride. Gargantuan riffage, nostalgic lyricism, and retro synths dominate not just this song, but the entire album in varying forms.
“Eyes of a Maniac”, “For the Love of Good Times”, and “’89 Sparkle” showcase the band’s knack for poppy hooks and carefree attitude. In fact, “’89 Sparkle” is such a blatant attempt at breaking into the US Top 40 market that the musical programmers at iHeartRadio deserve to be fired if they don’t add it into regular rotation, if only for effort alone. On the flipside of this is the hard rocking, hard driving, nocturnal AOR of “Outrun”, “Like a Cobra”, and “Prodigal Sons”. If you’re looking for synth driven slabs of 80s throwback gold with pulsating rhythms, anthemic firepower, and the intensity of a heart after a night of clubbing and Miami cocaine, look no further.
Although the Reckless Love on Turborider is a far cry from the Reckless Love I fell for a decade ago, the spirit and determination is still there. This isn’t the type of album you listen to while looking at your deskside window to a dreary, rainy afternoon, like I just did (Hey, I can’t control Chicago’s weather). This is the type of album you listen to on a late Friday night, driving through downtown in a convertible and letting your body become one with the breeze. You smile an adrenaline induced grin and ask your carful of friends, “Who’s ready to party?” With Turborider playing in the background, they can’t say no.
8 out of 10
Label: AFM Records
Genre: AOR
For fans of: Crazy Lixx, H.E.A.T, Eclipse
I’ll check em out, man!