Album Review – Rockstar Frame / Stand up…Jump ’n’ Fly (2021)

Italy’s own Hard Rock outfit arises once again with a brand new lineup and a kick-ass album that beautifully represents the glorious days of the iconic Sunset Strip.

Sometimes you have to take a step back (to the 80’s) before taking a step forward in your career, which is exactly the case with Milan, Italy-based Rock N’ Roll/Hard Rock outfit Rockstar Frame, or RSF if you prefer. After the releases of their 2015 album Rock ‘N’ Roll Mafia and their 2018 album Bulletproof, and after a few successful international tours, the band fell apart due to irremediable conflicts and internal problems, putting a huge interrogation mark in the future of RSF. However, in 2019 the band’s founder and drummer Max Klein redesigned their sound with the help of newcomers Leonard F. Guillan on vocals, Ian Darrell on the guitars and Ronam Destefani on bass, taking a journey back to 80’s Glam Metal and Hard Rock and crafting the most honest and vibrant music you can think of, culminating with the release in 2021 of their awesome new album entitled Stand up…Jump ’n’ Fly, a musical tribute to the glorious days of the famous Sunset Strip.

The opening track Is Not The End is a no-shenanigans 80’s Glam and Hair Metal hymn for lovers of the genre where Leonard lives up to the legacy of great vocalists like Vince Neil and Brett Michaels while Ian extracts sheer adrenaline from his guitar, and from Italy straight into the Sunset Strip the quartet delivers the thrilling and very melodic Get on My Knees, with the unstoppable Max beautifully dictating the song’s vibrant rhythm with his beats. By now you should have a very good idea of the musical direction of the band, but if not, simply take a listen at Hey Man!, offering us all pure Hard Rock flowing from their sonic weapons, with Leonard leading his crew with his classic vocals while Ronam shakes the foundations of the earth with his metallic bass jabs. Then blending their classic Rock N’ Roll with the Heavy Metal by Saxon and the old school Hard Rock by Scorpions, Rockstar Frame deliver the hard-hitting tune Ready to Go, perfect for heading out to the highway while Ian is on fire with his riffs and solos; followed by Hypnotized Fools, highly inspired by the Hair Metal played by Guns N’ Roses and Poison, with the rumbling bass by Ronam punching you hard in the head, not to mention the always amazing sound of the cowbell (and there’s never enough cowbell in rock and metal music, of course). And it’s time for a stylish ballad by Rockstar Frame titled Beyond the Fear, where Leonard displays all his vocal potency with a passionate performance supported by background keys and a powerful guitar solo.

Never tired of crafting our good old Hard Rock, the quartet blasts our ears with the dancing tune Golden Dreams, another solid composition where Max keeps guiding his bandmates with his rhythmic beats, whereas in Break me Down it becomes clear their Rock N’ Roll party has no time to end, with Ian and Ronam complementing each other’s riffs and lines in great fashion form start to finish in a very entertaining display of 80’s Hard Rock. Ronam is a beast armed with his thunderous bass, adding tons of groove to the band’s music in the pounding tune One in a Million, sounding beyond perfect for celebrating the golden years of Hair Metal while Leonard’s raspy vocals also bring an extra touch of rebelliousness to the overall sonority; and Halloween Night is another straight-to-the-point Hard Rock extravaganza by the quartet, not as vibrant as the rest of the album, though, with Leonard’s vocals sounding below what he can actually do (while the drumming by Max is as good as usual). After that, more stamina emerges from their sharp riffs, low-tuned bass and pounding drums in Like a Monster, with Leonard kind of personifying the one and only Sebastian Bach in his glorious days on vocals, while a very fun start kicks off the upbeat closing tune Sunshine in The Dark, a song made for bringing some joy to our hearts in such difficult times where all band members are in absolute sync, providing our ears an amazing sonority with a pleasant and positive vibe.

You can learn more about Rockstar Frame, their history, their plans for the future and their music by following Max and his henchmen on Facebook and on Instagram, by subscribing to their YouTube channel and by streaming all of their creations on Spotify, or simply click HERE to get access to all of that and more, and even more important than that, if 80’s Hard Rock is your cup of tea you should definitely purchase your copy of Stand up…Jump ’n’ Fly from an array of locations, including HMV, Rakuten, Alba Music and Impulse Music, just to name a few. Enough said already, how about we all grab our best pair of leather pants, our leopard-themed bandanas, jump on our motorbikes, and enjoy all the beauty and adrenaline of Sunset Boulevard together with the guys from Rockstar Frame to the sound of their stylish new album?

Best moments of the album: Get on My Knees, Ready to Go and One in a Million.

Worst moments of the album: Halloween Night.

Released in 2021 Volcano Records

Track listing
1. Is Not The End 4:19
2. Get on My Knees 3:31
3. Hey Man! 3:39
4. Ready to Go 3:33
5. Hypnotized Fools 3:34
6. Beyond the Fear 4:12
7. Golden Dreams 3:42
8. Break me Down 3:31
9. One in a Million 3:41
10. Halloween Night 4:08
11. Like a Monster 4:14
12. Sunshine in The Dark 4:23

Band members
Leonard F. Guillan – vocals
Ian Darrell – guitar
Ronam Destefani – bass
Max Klein – drums