Well this was a shock!

Blessed By A Broken Heart (or BBABH for short) are a Canadian hardcore glam metal band and let me tell you, they ain't half bad. 'Feel The Power' is their third album and is full to the brim with talent and songs that will get your ass rocking from that post Xmas fatigue. The first part of the album is what Hardcore Superstar could sound like if they remembered how to write a tune or two. Hyped up and giving it their all from the opening few bars, BBABH really do sound like a band primed for a stab at the big time.

Opener 'Deathwish' certainly has enough glam to keep the old skool brigade happy whilst adding some modern sounding vocals whilst second track 'Shut Up And Rock!' is a prime slab of 80's rock including some blistering guitar work and fist pumping chant-a-longs. 'Love Nightmare' meanwhile has a guitar wankfest intro that soon segues into some hardcore vocals before BBABH sensibly decide that singing a lyric actually works a little better than simply screaming "aaaarrrrgghhhh".  This is a pretty decent song that is total proof if ever it was needed that a vocal delivery is much better simply sung and not spat out in anger. By direct contrast later on in the album 'Rockin' All Night' takes BBABH away from the harder edge and sees them coming across as a softer hair band that has forgotten what the first half of the album was like - It's not bad, it's just a more plain take on the genre, more akin to say Danger Danger or Tuff.

'I've Got You' also comes out of the blue and is a simple, almost acoustic ballad that is more AOR than glam but is still a fine showcase for BBABH's songwriting talents. When a band opts for a song title like 'Skate Or Die' you have to think "that's a bit extreme" don't you.  And when it's an 80's metal song about the pleasures of back flips, endos and fakeys you have to also fear for the worse, but it's nowhere near as bad as it sounds (honestly), oh and the hardcore vocals are back.  'Innocent Blood' and 'Sleepless Nights' finish us off in their own special way, via some more hard rocking catchy choruses full of top quality fret work (Shred Sean, you are applauded) with more than enough hooks to keep a ship full of pirate amputees happy.

Although it maybe at times a little confusing vocally, this album has showcased a band that surely must be destined for bigger audiences and bigger things in 2012. They've had a few set backs and line-up changes along the way since their inception in 2003 but this is a bloody great start to our rocking year ahead if ever it needed one.

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Pick up your copy of 'Feel The Power' here.