H R H - R E V I E W S

Milan Polak
Straight Lion Music

Comments: Possibly the most anticipated CD of the past several years arrived at the door with little to no fan fare, yet the excitement inside the reviewer’s house was tremendous.

There were many questions for months, and soon there would finally be some answers. Could a guitar virtuoso with little to no experience outside the instrumental genre create a special rock record? If so, how would he sound when delivering those bluesy vocals? How would the record be received? Would people understand what this amazing musician was trying to accomplish? These were just a few of the questions that surfaced as the package from Finland was being ripped wide open.

Answers to questions are occasionally in life are as good as you had hoped them to be. This record is one of those times.

The CD is called Straight and is the new venture from the Austrian virtuoso Milan Polak. It is packed with tremendously catchy choruses and verse with hooks that stick with you hours after the CD has stopped playing.

Not knowing what to expect as the laser hits the disc made the first sounds even more compelling. The first track “Difference” revealed plenty from the first note. What you hear early is a catchy rock track that reminds you of a mix of Dokken and Kenny Wayne Sheppard. Here Polak hits some deeper vocal notes and then takes control with a clean soulful rock guitar solo. The solo reminds you of Richie Sambora with a slightly harder edge.

Milan does not take himself too seriously on this record with the wild fun “Psychobitch.” “I just love the way you can’t resist” Polak pans as he builds the story of a crazy chick. Here Polak lights up a short nice spirited almost “American” feeling guitar solo while his excellent drummer John Macaluso (Yngwie Malmsteen, Ark, Union Radio) bangs his heart out.

Up next is the bluesy almost modern take on a late ‘60s rock track with “Crosses.”
Here Milan shows his total command and range on the instrument as if he grew up a protégé of Stevie Ray Vaughn. A gutsy tough solo and several cool leads are featured here on this really cool blues track. On the acoustic driven “Hero” Milan sings his ass off in an emotional and heartfelt way and plucks like a chicken farmer.

Favorite Vice” is an outstanding track that could fit on any ‘80s movie soundtrack. Polak’s vocals here are possibly the best on the album, and the song may be the most complete on the album. Macaluso leads with the percussion, Randy Coven plays wonderful bass guitar and then Milan tears up a fun wonderfully played small “Country Fried”guitar solo. Polak gets his again a minute later and man is it solid as a rock. As the song ends he really sings out and then he plays a slow metal inspired ending that sounds cool. Finally he does some speedy guitar work that sounds like a special effect, fucking creative.

The rest of the album is filled with several more fun tracks that are all constructed with the utmost care and precision. He is careful not to make this a show off guitar virtuoso album but plays his ass off when appropriate.

Folks it’s as if this brilliant man had all of this inside of him for the past 30+ years and finally could not hold it inside any longer. Blues, rock, late ‘60s Jimi Hendrix sounding tracks, modern pop rock, metal, everything is covered here. Shit he even shows those rocket fast “shred” fingers on the solo inside the title track.

Play the last track “The Glowing of a Cigarette” and you realize that this man could be a full blown successful blues artist if he’d like. Damn is he talented. What a fucking album. It is certainly in the running for album of the year in 2007.

If Lion Music has any sense they will do nothing short of mortgaging their asses to promote this album. If people in the States, especially down south, hear this it will sell copies and ultimately succeed.

Get your squirrelly butts on-line and buy a copy for everyone you love. They will love it no matter what their musical tastes.

Band Members
Milan Polak-Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Percussion, Blues Harp
Randy Coven-Bass
Fabio Trentini-Bass
John Macaluso-Drums

Track Listing:
01 Difference
02 Psychobitch
03 Crosses
04 Hero
05 Favorite Vice
06 Some Kind Of Jesus
07 All I Want
08 Superstar Mania
09 Straight
10 Happy Now?
11 I Don’t Care
12 Free After All
13 The Glowing Of A Cigarette

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.8/10