The question of the death of Rock seems to be on everybody’s mind lately with major music names dropping their takes every now and then over how dead Rock is or when it will eventually die out completely, all making it seem inevitable and way too soon. Robbie Rapids wants to share his views on this topic.
Robbie Rapids, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, is a musician born in 1978. Having idolized Glam Rock and Hair Metal from his childhood in the 80s, he’s with us now with a new single that optimistically announces that rock is alive and kicking. Teaming up with David Levene, a prolific session producer to present this song to us. ‘Rock Ain’t Dead’ is well-produced, the instruments sound crisp and the volumes are engineered with precision. It’s such a shame, though, how MIDI the bass and the drums sound. I definitely have nothing against electronically produced instruments, after all, not every musician in the world can afford a string section or a band of horn players, but there must exist a plugin that sounds a little more alive. The lyrics are also a little hit or miss, Robbie sings of all the tropes and little pop culture references that nod to the 80s Glam Rock scene, but it’s done in a haphazard way, where each line barely relates to the one before, resulting in a tapestry of messy colors. The guitars on the other hand sound very fresh. The tones are to the point and the amounts of gain are accurately dialed in, the solo is also musical and flows easily and acts as a nice fadeout to the piece.
Robbie Rapids’ latest offering is a mixed bag. On one side, his emotions can be thoroughly felt as he pays all those tributes to icons from his childhood. On the other side, the production misses a lot of elements that really help a song shine up above the rest. I appreciate all the messages and expect a massive improvement in the future from such a passionate artist.
