Rock is dead, they say? Hogwash! Don’t even bring up such an idea with the four-piece Cullman, Alabama-bred rockers Shallow Side, who have taken it to be their personal holy mission to spread the glory of modern rock & roll as far and as wide as they can to anyone who will listen. “The energy and excitement of rock & roll is missing nowadays, and we need it now more than ever,” believes Shallow Side’s front man, vocalist Eric Boatright. “Our goal is that we want to revitalize that entire genre and remind the world how rock & roll can be such a strong force in everyone’s lives.”
The proof of Shallow Side’s pure rocking prowess can be found within the deep grooves of their new EP titled ONE, which is being released by Thermal Entertainment on January 13, 2017. ONE is one tight, ass-kicking affair from the get-go, from the wham-bam all-out jam of the opening track “We Roll” to the fist-waving defiance of “Rebel” to the put-up-or-shut-up manifesto of “Fight or Flight” to their all-guns-a-blazing modern-day take on a well-loved rock classic, Styx’s “Renegade.” (Oh, Mama!)
Shallow Side garnered an immediate lifetime fan in Tommy Shaw, the Styx vocalist/guitarist who’s also the songwriter of “Renegade,” the instant he heard the band’s rabble-rousing cover of their signature song. “I’m impressed by these guys. Good arrangement, good performance, good video,” Shaw says of Shallow Side’s “Renegade” cover, which helped open the door for Shallow Side to make new fans. “We needed that ‘handshake’ with listeners who already love rock music,” Boatright says of the song that became both a rock-radio staple and a YouTube sensation when it was released as a single in late 2016.
Ultimately, Shallow Side is creating new music that fuses the best intentions of classic rock with modern crunch by planting their flag at the intersection of where Shinedown meets Styx and Journey meets Daughtry. One song Shallow Side fans will be grooving along with right from the start is the current single from ONE, “Fight or Flight,” which unifies the ideas set forth with the one-two punch of “Rebel” and “Renegade,” the EP’s initial radio hits songs. “That’s the heaviest song on this EP,” Boatright clarifies. “It tips the hat to the rock & roll market that exists today and also says, ‘If you guys want to run heavy, we’ll run heavy with you. We can do that — and we’re not scared of it, either. We’re very good at it.’”
Shallow Side’s main message is one of unity. “When we first started, rock & roll wasn’t for us,” Boatright concludes. “We wanted to go to a concert, enjoy the music, sing along, and be a part of the overall song and dance. We’re now looking to bridge that gap to bring the family together to where rock & roll was at one point. The mission since we began was to take the wheel and steer it back into a direction where everyone from all walks of life could enjoy a good rock show.”
Considering the band’s all-in philosophy, it appears that ONE is most definitely the best name for this raucous EP. Let’s all join together and revel in having Shallow Side show us the ONE true way to the future of great rock & roll injuries while touring and it hasn’t slowed us down enough to lose momentum.”
The band just received their highest honor to date being selected Loudwire’s Best New Artist of the Year (past winners included Saint Asonia and Baby Metal).
If you enjoy fist pumping Rock-n-Roll, then Shallow Side is for you. On the bands new EP entitled “One”, you get well written songs with catchy hooks, strong guitar riffs and actual singing vs. screaming. Shallow Side’s release is an explosion of music that has all the makings of a great Album/EP from start to finish.
The album opens with ‘We Roll’. Song immediately puts you in a controlled groove with a Guitar riff that has a familiar feel and Eric Boatright’s vocals hitting us with a cool vibe, creating a marketable musical rhythm that has a sing along anthem of the title built in. The track is very catchy and built for radio.
Next is the track “Start a Fire” which is one of my favorites on the EP. The percussion sets the mood to this song and along with some very nice guitar lines transforms it into a feel good song. Eric Boatwright’s vocals lure you in and you can’t help but sing along. Then a familiar song hits your ears, Shallow Side’s rendition of the Styx classic “Renegade.” They play it with a different edge and do a great interpretation of the original. I can see this going over well when played at live shows. After “Renegade”, comes the down and dirty track “Rebel”, which has an infectious groove created by the combination of guitar, bass, banjo and Drums. Did I tell you how much I love the drums on this album?
“Fight or Flight” continues the catchy Heavy groove from the previous track. It’s a rocker that makes you want more. The song impresses with a solid steady beat and great vocals. The song carries the album theme of Heavy guitar riffs and anthem style vocals during the chorus. The final song on the EP is “Can you Hear Me” which sets a different tone than the other songs. It starts with another catchy guitar riff but the vocals soon take over and you can’t help but sing along. With songs of this caliber the band should be able to keep their hard edge and easily crossover to commercial radio. I love this release and wish there were more songs. I am looking forward to hearing the full length album release.
The new 6 song EP is a prelude to a full length release to come out later this year.
Shallow Side Is:
Eric Boatright (Vocals)
Cody Hampton (Bass/Guitar)
Seth Trimble (Guitar/Keyboard)
Heath Fields (Drums)
LISTEN TO “ONE”
TRACK LISTING:
- We Roll
- Start a Fire
- Renegade
- Rebel
- Fight or Flight
- Can you Hear Me
Album: One
Band: Shallow Side
By: Storm@backstage360.com / New Ocean Media