Today at the Send Me Your Ears studio, we’ve been listening to Roger Ricks’ latest single, Lost, which was released on December 9, 2022.
Switzerland-based Ricks recorded everything but the drums himself on this track and all proceeds from sales of Lost will be donated to kids in need.
Lost is a song about how many people will do anything to secure their own success and status. Ricks says; “As an artist, you are often exposed to these forces of industry and the lure of success is often too blinding, so you can lose yourself in it.”
Lost starts with some great synth-sounding guitars and driven filtered vocals that almost sound as though they’re sung through a megaphone. When the full band comes in, it hits you like an 80s hair metal wall of sound! Throughout the track there is some superb use of delays and filters on the vocals, giving the voice an Alice Cooper feel in places.
The panned guitars and layered vocals give the song a Motley Crue/ Poison/ Skid Row feel, while a funky Mixolydian guitar riff keeps the listener enthralled.
We must draw attention to the drums on this track. There are some lovely halftime sections with toms fills, and a spectacularly fast fill at the end of a breakdown section and the drums are clear and present with a really popping snare.
The guitar solo after the breakdown is well-considered and driving in the style of Alice Cooper. It builds to a superb crescendo and gave us all goosebumps!
This is a wonderful example of “hair metal” style music and we loved every single moment of it. This is a song which deserves to receive wide coverage, not least for the charity donations, but for the spectacular musicianship and creativity throughout the track.
Ideas from our ears
To our ears, a little bit of extra volume and punch could be achieved by reducing the threshold on the drum track limiter by around 3dB then adding a light compressor/limiter to the master and adding maybe ~3dB of make-up gain. As always, these are just some ideas from our ears.
Final thoughts
If you’re a fan of 80s/90s hair metal and rock, then you simply cannot go wrong with Roger Ricks’ latest single, Lost. This is a stunning display of anthemic rock at its finest. We urge you to add this to your playlist today.