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Album Review – Who On Earth / It Takes The Village (2026)

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Crafting a heavy, story-driven sound rooted in some of the biggest names of the genre, this Heavy Metal ensemble attacks again with their electrifying sophomore album.

Crafting a heavy, story-driven sound rooted in influences like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Alice in Chains, and Tool, New Jersey’s own Heavy Metal/Hard Rock ensemble Who On Earth are ready to rock our world once again with their sophomore opus It Takes The Village, following up on their 2022 debut Blame. Currently formed of vocalist Coosh, guitarists Johnny James Barone and Jimmy Kocha, bassist Pete Rizzi, and drummer Howie Fallon, such an electrifying American rock and metal band is on fire throughout the entire It Takes The Village, honoring the legacy of former guitarist Bruce Gatewood (RIP), and re-energizing those five talented musicians to keep moving forward in the name of our good old Rock N’ Roll.

Their Southern Metal vein arises in the opening tune Vigilance, where the massive riffs by Johnny and Jimmy provide Coosh with exactly what he needs to shine on vocals, and their Rock N’ Roll groove keeps flowing in Any Other Way, reminding me of old school Soundgarden, with Howie kicking some ass behind his drums. Shadows is a solid rockin’ tune where the backing vocals by Coosh’s bandmates add a lot of power to his classic vocal lines, while the massive bass by Pete dictates the pace in the mid-tempo Hard Rock feast Good Man Down, excellent for enjoying a beer at a rock pub anywhere in the world. Closer is a weird interlude that doesn’t add much to the album, followed by Too Close, starting with the 70’s-inspired bass by Pete and accompanied by the always striking riffs by Johnny and Jimmy, flirting with Alternative and Groove Metal and Rock.

There’s no time to breathe as Who On Earth continue to fight the unfaithful in Double Or Nothing, a song that should be added to the playlists of all rock stations around the globe, not to mention how electrifying their guitar solos sound. Then we have Monster!, a journey back in time without sounding outdated where Coosh once again leads his crew with a killer vocal performance, highly recommended for hitting the highway with your loved ones, followed by Oh, Set Me Free, another very melodic display of Hard Rock that reminds me of some creations by the mighty Armored Saint. It’s time to open up the pit and slam together with your buddies to the sound of We Don’t Belong Here, led by the pounding drums by Howie; and Ascension is a cinematic interlude that feels like it was taken from a Power Metal album, warming us up for The Unbeaten, a delicate ballad by the boys to put an enfolding ending to the album. Well, there are still the bonus tracks left, all offering the band’s trademark fusion of Hard Rock with Southern and Groove Metal, just like in the thrilling extended version of Vigilance, with Mike Orlando and Jason Bittner as guest vocalists.

Heavy riffs, classic bass, galloping drums, and an endless amount of sheer energy. That’s exactly what will hit you as you listen to the excellent It Takes The Village, proving that despite some bumps on the way, the guys from Who On Earth are inspired and focused to keep moving forward no matter what. Having said that, don’t waste your time and go show your support to those guys by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by subscribing to their Youtube channel, by streaming their rockin’ creations on Spotify and on Apple Music, and of course by purchasing their new album from Bandcamp. Because Who On Earth live and breathe Heavy Metal and Rock N’ Roll, and in the end, who on earth doesn’t enjoy some high-quality heavy music, right?

Best moments of the album: Vigilance, Too Close, Monster! and We Don’t Belong Here.

Worst moments of the album: Closer.

Released in 2026 Independent

Track listing
1. Vigilance 4:15
2. Any Other Way 3:07
3. Shadows 4:00
4. Good Man Down 3:13
5. Closer 1:00
6. Too Close 3:39
7. Double Or Nothing 4:09
8. Monster! 4:08
9. Oh, Set Me Free 4:28
10. We Don’t Belong Here 3:51
11. Ascension 1:47
12. The Unbeaten 4:15

Bonus tracks
13. Jane 4:17
14. Down And Out – Dvrko Remix 3:41
15. Vigilance [Extended] 5:08

Band members
Coosh – vocals
Johnny James Barone – guitar
Jimmy Kocha – guitar
Pete Rizzi – bass
Howie Fallon – drums

Guest musicians
Mike Orlando – vocals on “Vigilance [Extended]”
Jason Bittner – vocals on “Vigilance [Extended]”

Album Review – Adrenaline Mob / Men of Honor (2014)

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How to waste time and talent from exceptional musicians in a supergroup.

Rating7

amob_men of honorThe world of the so-called supergroups is a mixed bag of awesome bands such as Velvet Revolver, Chickenfoot and Charred Walls of the Damned, but at the same time lots of terrible ideas like Zwan, Loaded and Symfonia, which makes many fans kind of skeptical when their biggest idols decide to join some other famous musicians in a new music journey. We can say that Adrenaline Mob, the supergroup formed by Russell Allen (Symphony X), Mike Orlando, John Moyer (Disturbed) and A.J. Pero (Twisted Sister), is part of the “bad ideas” group: it is just a regular Hard Rock project were all musicians seem to be underutilized. That generic musicality was the main issue with their debut album Omertà, and now the same happens with their second full-length album, Men of Honor.

After the departure of Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater), fans and the media were asking what would be of the band and if they would create something really different and unique in their future releases. Although I’ve never been a fan of Portnoy (I truly prefer drummers with more feeling like Nicko McBrain, Clive Burr, Dave Lombardo and Jörg Michael), I must admit A. J. Pero didn’t make much of a difference in Adrenaline Mob’s music. The album starts in a promising way with Mob Is Back, a pure Hard Rock song with very interesting solos and rhythm, but then it gets too generic with Come on Get Up, which despite its heavy riff offers nothing new, and Dearly Departed, one of the worst of the whole album.

amobThings do not get better with Behind These Eyes, a very boring semi-acoustic ballad made for radio, nor with Let It Go, which bass lines remind me of some Disturbed songs. The next track, Feel the Adrenaline, is the heavier one of the album, and its nice bass lines and chorus make it the best song of the album by far. The title-track, Men of Honor, is another forgettable generic Hard Rock song, while the ballad Crystal Clear is so boring it seems the band really wanted to torture us with it. Fortunately, the band wakes up in House of Lies, but again nothing that would blow our minds creatively speaking.

The last two tracks of the album are Judgment Day, which has a cool intro, heavy riffs, and even sounds like some good tunes from Chrome Division, and Fallin’ to Pieces,  one more torturing ballad to complete our disappointment with the album. And that’s it, there’s not much else to say about Men of Honor, except that the album art looks exactly the same as their previous release and that the lyrics mean absolutely nothing.

In my opinion, Men of Honor is slightly better than its predecessor (maybe due to the departure of the overrated Portnoy?), but again it doesn’t offer anything new to the audience. It’s unfortunately a waste of talent of all musicians involved: it might not be bad music, but we know those guys can generate something a lot more complex and interesting than some generic Hard Rock any amateur band can do.

Best moments of the album: Mob Is Back and Feel the Adrenaline.

Worst moments of the album: Deadly Departed, Behind These Eyes and Crystal Clear.

Released in 2014 Century Media

Track listing
1. Mob Is Back 4:34
2. Come on Get Up 4:12
3. Dearly Departed 4:57
4. Behind These Eyes 5:35
5. Let It Go 3:54
6. Feel the Adrenaline 5:56
7. Men of Honor 4:26
8. Crystal Clear 5:03
9. House of Lies 3:56
10. Judgment Day 4:06
11. Fallin’ to Pieces 4:57

Bonus track
12. Crystal Clear (Acoustic Version) 5:03

Band members
Russell Allen – lead vocals
Mike Orlando – guitar
John Moyer – bass
A. J. Pero – drums