The highly anticipated Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen collaboration has finally been released. And it’s everything we were hoping for a more. Funky, soulful, heavy and of course, killer guitar riffage and jamamge. From top to bottom it’s clear that Smith and Kotzen worked hard on creating a strong, timeless album. Rooted in heavy blues rock tradition. All killer, no filler.
The album starts off with the lead off single, ‘Takin’ My Chances.’ And right off the bat, when I heard this song a few months back, I knew the album was going to slay. Kotzen and Smith’s guitar tones and styles work together in an unexpectedly seamless way. I mean, these guys come out of two different schools of rock guitar. At least it seems that way. Iron Maiden and Richie Kotzen are both pretty different. But both bring the feel and technical ability needed to create excellent rock. And it’s not just the guitars that work well together. It’s also their voices. I assumed that Kotzen would take all the lead vocals. As he usually does. But Adrian Smith has got an excellent blues oriented rock voice. Full and soulful. They each share about 50/50 of the vocal duties throughout the album. They compliment each other so much. ‘Running’ grabs the listener with it’s immediacy and heaviness. A classic Kotzen chorus combined with a little Iron Maiden heaviness. ‘Scars’ is a typical, heavy blues ballad. But with a little bit of a fresh twist. Dark and moody, it’s real deal blues.
The album then takes a left turn to funksville with the phat ass ‘Some People.’ A perfect song for introverts. Simply about how some people are tolerable and how some are just unbearable. Probably my favorite track on the album. ‘Glory Road’ is Smith/Kotzen’s dip into Americana. And while they still ride the blues wave considerably, the Springsteen/Mellencamp influence is more prominent than on the previous ‘Scars.’ Things then kick up a notch with ‘Solar Fire.’ This song is more Kotzen than Kotzen. A classic cut time rocker complete with insane shreddage from Smith and yours truly. ‘You Don’t Know Me’ is probably the most ‘epic’ of the tracks on the album. Clocking in at over seven minutes, it runs the gaument of blues jammage. While managing to be mildly progressive. It just might contain the best guitar battle on the album. Which is saying a lot. ‘I Wanna Stay’ is the obligatory tear jerker. A classic break up song with a powerful vocal melody modulation on the chorus. It’s simple, yet very very effective. Smith/Kotzen’s debut closes with the moody groove of ”Til Tomorrow.’ A fittingly closing track that looks into the future. It’s smooth, legato feel gives a slippery texture. But it never sacrifices its seriousness.
Overall ‘Smith/Kotzen’ is one of the best collaborations between artists in years. They’re styles mesh flawlessly. After a thorough listen, it’s clear that Adrian Smith is really a blues man. Yes, what he does in Maiden isn’t blues, but it’s pretty obvious what school of influence he comes out of. While it may seem like he comes out of a classical river rock formula, it’s really the blues where his heart lies. Kotzen and Smith’s guitars blend perfectly. As well as their ability to compliment each other vocally. Add strong, quality and consistent song writing to the mix and you’ve got an album that’s a contender for best rock album of 2021.
