'Bitter & Twisted’ marks the welcome return of former Gillan cohorts John McCoy and Bernie Torme and finds them in a stripped down, no frills, power-trio with an album of few overdubs. He might not have the same credentials as his illustrious band mates but in drummer Robin Guy they have unearthed a real find. Having previously played with Faith No More and Bruce Dickenson, Guy is a real powerhouse drummer and gels perfectly with McCoy’s monstrous bass sound and Torme’s raw and energetic riffs.  

‘Cannonball’ kicks things off and straight away you can tell this an album that begs to be played loud, Guy immediately making his mark with some thundering beats. For ‘Rocky Road’ Torme goes back to his roots, the autobiographical lyrics a tongue-in cheek reference to his Irish heritage and delivered in his native accent. (“Could've been diggin' ditches, Or carryin' the hod / Down tunnels or on bridges, Far from the eye of God / Me I'm sitting pretty, Playing my guitar / On the Rocky Road from Dublin”). There really isn’t a bad song on this album but to pick out a couple more highlights then ‘Miss The Buzz’ is a great psychedelic rocker and ‘Can’t Beat Rock N Roll’ is an infectious up-tempo classic rock number with some AC/DC inspired riffs and a really catchy chorus.  

The real highlight for me is the eight minute epic ‘Summerland’ that kicks off with a much slower tempo than what has gone before, Bernie taking the vocal in a very laid back style that reminds me of Robbie Robertson. Again, the rhythm section is really tight on this one; McCoy’s driving bass well to the forefront. This really is an excellent track, and one which I hope to see them play live in the not too distant future. The atmospheric instrumental ‘Deireadh An Samhradh (Summer's End)’ is well executed and leads into the eccentric closing number ‘Vincenzo (della Grande Pumpo del' Amore)’. A suitably off-the-wall lyric combine with a groove heavy rhythm and is played with a real sense of fun and enjoyment. They even manage to include a bicycle bell in there somewhere… 

‘Bitter & Twisted’ is a fantastic return for Torme and McCoy and on this evidence there is plenty of life left in these two veterans of the Rock scene. By recruiting Robin Guy and coming up with a stunning set of original material they are certainly not playing the nostalgia card and they really do deserve to be heard by a wide audience.

Buy this one, it’s a real gem. 

For more info and ordering details check out http://www.gmtrocks.com/

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Track List

Cannonball
Rocky Road (from Dublin)
Bitter and Twisted
Can't Beat Rock'n'Roll
Down to Here
No Justice
Miss The Buzz
Longer Than Tomorrow
Summerland
Deireadh An Samhradh (Summer's End)
 Vincenzo (della Grande Pumpo del' Amore)

Line Up

Bernie Torme - Guitars/Vocals
John McCoy - Bass
Robin Guy -Drums