When I heard that Rock Masters Band went from their native Finland to Hawaii to record the first of these two singles, I couldn’t help but smile—and no doubt those of you who are currently living in a snow covered area of the world just might do the same. Formed in 2007, the band, under the leadership of Sami “Haxu” Hakala, holds on recording session at a time with selected musicians and producers, making sure that each track gets the attention it deserves. Both “Diamonds” and “Hit the City” reflect in their polished sounds the quality of this attention as well as a love for rock from all who contributed to their creation.
“Diamonds”, featuring Sami “Haxu” Hakala on vocals and guitars, Riikka Hakala as backing vocals, Jimi Sero on bass, Sami Järvinen on drums, and Ace Mark on guitars, is a high energy song about relationship and heartbreak. Just like with “Hit the City”, it’s catchy, upbeat, and will make your feet stomp. The combination of clean guitars, heavy drums, driving bassline, and intense vocals are all smack dab in very familiar rock territory.
The same can be said about “Hit The City”, although this track is different in the way it throbs with attitude. With Sami “Haxu” Hakala on vocals, keyboards, and guitars, Riikka Hakala on vocals and backing vocals, Tero Rikkonen on bass and guitars, Mikael Tiittanen on drums and percussions, and Teemu Holttinen adding a guitar solo to the track, “Hit the City” adds to the rock foundation that seems to define the band a thick layer of blues.
Both tracks sound familiar and yet fresh enough to warrant a listen. They probably will not become the catchy new tune that everyone will be talking about for a short while, but both “Diamonds” and “Hit The City” (and especially the latter) have the potential of slowly worming their way up people’s playlists. More information about the band can be found on their official website, and their videoclips can be viewed on their
YouTube channel.
Pictures provided by Independent Music Promotions.
First published on Blogcritics.