Man Raze – Surreal (Release Year – 2008)
Surreal is the debut record of super group trio, Phil Collen (Def Leppard) Paul Cook (Sex Pistols) and Simon Laffey (Girl).
My first thought going into this record was, how much of Def Leppard’s sound will be mixed into this record. Much to my surprise, not as much as I thought. Yes, there are a few Leppardisms here and there, but this is a completely different sounding record. Surreal is more of a pure rock record, and an eclectic mix of styles.
On Surreal, I hear a blend of punk, pop, hard rock, and reggae. It is a fusion of styles that make this one of the more interesting records as of late.
The song writing is somewhat simple, but it is catchy. The songs get in your head, and stay there.
Some of my favorite cuts are Turn It Up, Every Second of Every Day, Skin Crawl and Halo. These aren’t the only good songs by any means. There really isn’t a bad cut on this disc.
Not only is Phil Collen an outstanding guitarist, but he is pretty damn good in the vocal department. His vocal style is similar to Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott. The chemistry between Cook, Collen and Laffey is quite apparent, and it shows in the music. The songs are upbeat and fun to listen to. Not only do I hear Def Leppard’s influence, but I also hear a Police vibe in some songs.
The bottom line, I have been thoroughly enjoying this disc, and I think you will to. Surreal hits stores on June 3rd. Don’t miss picking this one up!
For more information on Man Raze, check out the band’s website and their myspace page.
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. This Is
2. Turn It Up
3. Runnin’ Me Up
4. Every Second of Every Day
5. Spinning Out
6. Can’t Find My Own Way
7. Skin Crawl
8. Low
9. Connected to You
10. Halo
11. It’s Entertainment
12. Shadow Man
Man Raze is:
Phil Collen – Guitars and Lead Vocals
Paul Cook – Drums
Simon Laffey – Bass
Leave A Comment ↓
Hard Rock Hideout 
Got album and just saw them play live, they were amazing.
Too easy to say they just sound like Def Leppard when in fact they are nothing alike.
Phil’s voice ia amzing, their playing is passionate.
Dont rely on the so called reviews of others, listen to it and judge for yourself.
I just reviewed the album too…..
http://hardrockheavymetal.wordpress.com/2008/06/05/man-raze-surreal-2008/
I heard The Police in their too, especially on the Reggae tunes, but half the album sounds like Def Leppard demos. ‘Skin Crawl’ is the best song on the album by far. I’m going to give it a few more listens, I didn’t expect much from Man Raze and I’m hoping I find a little more than my initial listens.
Steve
Heavy Metal Addiction
http://hardrockheavymetal.wordpress.com/
Sounds to us like Def Leppard….with a cooler CD title.
I had sorta high hopes for this (as high as could be expected of a Def Lappard side-project), because the track they had available on their website some time ago sounded more glam and punk than AOR. Sadly, the album as a whole plays it safe too often. They did hit stride a few times, but by and large they stuck to the formula.
I reviewed it to:
http://www.rnrnonsense.com/2008/06/review-man-raze-surreal.html
I played this a lot over the weekend before reviewing it. I haven’t heard any hype on this one at all, but I imagine it is coming soon. I actually liked this one a little more than Def Leppard’s Songs From the Sparkle Lounge, only because of the variety of songs.
I need to give this another listen before I review it. Like most supergroups it’s more hype than substance. There are a few songs that deviate from Def Leppard, but there are plenty of songs that sound like leftovers.