What first struck me when diving into Vienna Austria recording artist Emina Rock’s album was the power of the lead singer’s voice. A combination of hard rock wails and bluesy soul stood out on the first listen. Amazing power and control along with a vulnerability makes it quite appealing. I would compare the voice to Amy Lee, Johnette Napolitano or Gwen Stefani on certain tracks. Soaring vocals really shine on this album. Overall, the vocals along with the searing guitar work and driving percussion create instant comparisons to Ritchie Blackmore era Deep Purple, early Whitesnake or perhaps April Wine. All quality references, albeit not hugely trendy these days, in my prospective. “Action Girl” has a catchy chorus and driving bass line. It reminds me Concrete Blonde. This was my favorite track on the record and I really like the pop rock style shown on this track. These songs are focused primary on relationships and love gone wrong which has certainly been mined for years in this genre but remains interesting here due to the blend of hard rock/ pop styles as well as some scorching guitar licks and more than a dose of attitude. Tracks such as the driving “Speeding on the highway”, “That’s why I’m screaming” and the suggestive “Bitch” are certainly empowering while conversely “Carry me” seems to have a Christian rock message though it could be this writer’s interpretation. I felt the track “I don’t need words” works well as a power ballad and the vocals are particularly strong in a Amy Lee sort of style. Nice acoustic guitar work on the pretty “I’m leaving” and “Carry me”. I think the record has a good mix of rockers and ballads which help keep the listener interested. The lead vocalist’s style would lend itself even better to pop rock. Overall the style feels a slight bit dated on some tracks but the production on the record is very professional and I could certainly imagine hearing some of these tracks on modern rock radio.
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