Starmen – By the Grace of Rock’n’Roll Review

You, my dear fan and child of the night, picture a band inspired on 1970s Kiss using masks and make-up and all that released an album whose features all members emulating Kiss’ members solo albums. Now imagine that this band opted as inspiration Kiss’ albums as “Unmasked” and “Dinasty,” albums which had a great mellow and melodic content. Got it? Okay, now I present you Starmen “By the Grace of Rock’n’Roll” the album that promises everything I wrote before. And delivers it. And they do it with great respect and competence and details if the memory of my fan serves him right, the name of the band Starmen is a clear reference to Paul Stanley’s alias The Starchild and Spacemen the alias chosen by Ace Frehley, both from Kiss original line-up.

When I said that Starmen had their major inspiration n 1970s Kiss I wasn’t overreacting. Kristian Hermanson’s voice has a great resemblance with Paul Stanley’s which can be be noticed on “Black Thunder White Lightning” which emulates the mood of those albums aforementioned even with the soul music inspiration on the vocals. Kiss fan will understand. Of course, there are moments that Spacemen runs away from their major inspiration and sound like bands as Europe and other Hard Rock from the 1980s as in “Spaceplane.” But I insist that the major ispiration is Kiss and that can be felt in each track of“By the Grace of Rock’n’Roll.” One track more than the other, of course. “Bad Habit,” for instance, sopunds a bit more modern with the sonancy of albums as “Asylum” or “Crazy Nights.” From where I’m standing it’s the track that reminds Kiss the most.

Is “By the Grace of Rock’n’Roll” an interesting album even though the obvious resemblance? Yes, it is. I can’t deny it. Starmen did a marvelous job here and the songs are pretty good. “By the Grace of Rock’n’Roll” has a double effect depending on whom listen to it. If the fan knows Kiss, the resemblance and the remind will be in a heartbeat; if the fan doesn’t know Kiss – what I doubt very much – the effect will be completely different. Both ways, the album is a good homage and a way of teaching the new generations about the great band Kiss are. In fact, better Kiss than I won’t say who…

Starmen “By the Grace of Rock’n’Roll” will be released on March 12th via Melodic Passion Records.

Track Listing:

1. Shining Star
2. By The Grace Of Rock’n’Roll
3. Kairi
4. Black Thunder White Lightning
5. Kisses of an Enemy
6. Pleasuredome
7. Spaceplane
8. People’s Parade
9. Bad Habit
10. Hotter Than Fire
11. Angels’ Cryin’
12. Shining Star – Voice Outro

Watch “By the Grace of Rock’n’roll” official video here: