Reece – Blacklist Utopia (Album Review)


David Reece is an American singer who replaced Udo Dirkschneider for Accept in the late 80s. He sang on the album “Eat the Heat” and toured with Accept for that album before moving on to work on his solo career.  He fronted the band’s Bonfire, Bangalore Choir, and Sainted Sinners.

  This brings us to his latest release under the banner REECE, titled “Blacklist Utopia” which is due for release on 29th October 2021 via El Puerto Records.  The lineup consists of experienced musicians with impressive resumes: Andy Susemihl (ex-U.D.O., Sinner, Bangalore Choir) on guitar, Malte Frederik Burkert (Victory, ex-Sainted Sinners) on bass, and Francesco Jovino (ex-U.D.O., Sinner, Primal Fear, Jorn, Sunstorm, Voodoo Circle) on drums.

The album is a feast of melodic hard rock, which showcases David Reece‘s vocals convincingly.  The tracks are varied and each track offers you something a little different.  There is no disputing the experience of the band and there’s a lot to love about the album.  Very tasteful guitar solos, relatable lyrics, and overall it’s a very well-put-together album.

One of the tracks that immediately grabbed my attention was “Red Blooded Hell Raiser”, the riff is lively, it has a very distinct chorus and stayed in my head after I had listened to the album.  Another track that had something special is “I Can’t Breathe”, Reece’s vocals introduce a cool rock rasp in places and he shows his full range of vocal ability.  In fact, the whole album really does give you an enticing insight into his vocal experience.

I’m always looking for that one track on an album that gets in your soul and “American Dream” is one that hit me right in the feelings, it’s a song that makes you stop and intently listen to the lyrics and that solo oozes feeling!  I went back to this one a few times.  The vocal delivery is superb!

Each track has its own unique hard rock recipe, with a sprinkling of more heavy moments that definitely add to the overall listening experience.

Fans of hard rock are going to really enjoy this one!

REECE: Facebook

Release Year: 2021
Label: El Puerto Records
Category: Album
Country: USA

Reviewed by ForsakenMisery