Derek Fresquez & Cuttin The Chord – Something to Lose

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The unadvised and cursory fan might say “What the hell, man! This is not Metal. This is the friking Blues.’ And I’ll have to agree with the fan in terms. First of all, and this is for the newcomers in Metal, Metal comes from the Blues. Okay, right, it’s been centuries and modern Metal doesn’t sound in any way as the Blues. Right again in terms. However, second of all, the spirit of the Blues is still in Metal and that’s the spirit of the rebellion, the blues spirit. Modern Black Metal bands with their melancholy and sadness are so near of the Blues that they don’t even suspect. It’s never only the music, it’s the spirit, the intent, the message. And third, this albums is really magnificient. All the ten tracks of it are tremendously delicious with that touch of subtlety that only the bluesmen know how to. And I must say that Derek Fresquez has a great hand for the thing. He’s of the sport. The guy knows how to do it mixing pristing technique with rising emotion. In a few words, “Something to Lose” sounds fresh.

“Something to Lose” in many ways sounds as an Eric Clapton effort, but in no way this a demerit, on the contrary, it’s a merit. To be compared with one of the most important masters of the Blues is a compliment. Musicwise, Derek Fresquez has updated a little the Blues guitar, but not as much to deform it. His interventions are sharp and precise. The man knows really how to put a note. It is the live proof that to play well it is not necessary to use a zillion notes, nor to play fast as hell. No, sir. Emotion comes first. Of course, there are different kinds of emotion. Yngwie Malmsteen use to say that his emotion is different from the merely humans. He may be right, but Derek Fresquez is too.

I suggest the fan to start the listening by the delicate and pretty “Bluest Blues” where the pure spirit of the Blues makes its presence. If the fan has been already introduced to the keen likes of Led Zeppelin, “Something to Lose” is a great suggestion mostly in tracks as “Dyin Flu” and “Walk Alone” which sound pretty much near. There are also tracks as “Gotta Get Away” and “Out with the Boys” that reminds a lot what the master Steve Ray Vaughn (RIP) used to do. Same grip. So, “Something to Lose” is an album for lovers because the Blues is a good man feeling bad because of a woman…

Derek Fresquez & Cuttin The Chord “Something to Lose” was independently released on January 03rd.

Track Listing:

  1. Blues in my Blood
  2. She’s a Dream
  3. Gotta Get Away
  4. Dyin Flu (Albert Collins, Coco Montoya Cover)
  5. Out with the Boys
  6. Walk Alone
  7. Ridin Free
  8. Walk Out That Door
  9. Something to Lose
  10. Bluest Blues (Alvin Lee Cover)

Watch “Walk Out That Door” official music video here: