No-nonsense hard rock n' roll
Right from the off, it's fair to say that Tommy Justice is a bit of an enigma. I'm not sure whether he travelled to 2012 via Doc and Marty Mcfly's time machine or what, but this guy can churn out some massive classic rock tunes that sound like they've been pulled right from the 1980s. The fact that he has put together this album as a solo artist as well after the capitulation of earlier bands makes it all the more impressive. With the influences behind Setting Fire To History being such a throwback, it perhaps feels strange to say that this actually sounds very refreshing but the range across this album helps give it so much character, from the anthemic hard rock tunes, to the softer and more melodic side.
The opening track, Every Inch The Rock Star just sets the tone and hits the spot. The vocals are immediately the most striking thing about the record, comparable again to so many classic rock bands. To compare his vocal range to a vocallist perhaps more current, Tommy Justice is very similar in style to Chris Jericho from Fozzy. In fact both bands share many similarities, both writing no nonsense great rock tunes in homage to their heroes from the past.
As it moves on to the next two tracks, Love You To Death and Let Me In you will quickly realise that in your; CD Player, iPod, (or whatever device you operate through), you are listening to a really special album. So much of it is just extremely engaging, and it is clear that Tommy Justice and his band would be brilliant in the live arena. It definitely feels like these songs were written with live shows in mind.
Some more highlights on the album come from tracks such as Six Shot Blues and Thrill Seeker with their heavy chugging riffs and absolutely blistering solos making it feel like you're listening to some sick love-children of Motley Crue and Iron Maiden. Every now and again you get through an EP or debut album to listen to and immediately it's clear that the artist has an extremely bright future, and this is absolutely the case here. If Tommy Justice can continue to produce albums like this one, as well as continuing to impress on the live scene then the potential for where he'll be in the future is absolutely massive. He doesn't just feel like a novelty rip off of the bands he is influenced by so much, instead he has his own message to spread. He looks the part, he sounds the part, and he can play some seriously ballsy rock tunes. Tommy Justice is one to watch for sure.