What do you get when you cross the rhythms and melodies of a west coast glam band with the edginess and hooks of a Jersey-based rock-scene band? Well, in this case you get Kivel Records newest recording act GOODBYE THRILL.

Fronted by vocalist Marc Ferreira (who some may recognize from sharing vocal duties in the band VENTURIA) and accompanied by a bassist simply known by the name Dutch, drummer Pete Eiselman, and former FUNNY MONEY guitarist Dean Cramer, I think the best way to describe their sound is a cross between AMERICAN ANGEL and BLACK N’ BLUE with just a touch of a modern flair, ala FLICKERSTICK. But don’t get too hung up on what as said as far as it having a “dash” of modern flair. GOODBYE THRILL’s debut, self-titled release is a solid representation of everything you’ve come to love about late 80’s/ early 90’s rock bands… powerful hooks and harmonies, tight, toe-tapping melodies and Big, BIG vocals!

A great example of what I just stated is the opening track “Super Perfect World.” This is just a great, great song with hints of that AMERICAN ANGEL style I mentioned earlier and a perfect opener which really grabs the listener’s attention.

“Ticket To Paradise” slows it down a bit and features some really nice harmonies and if you listen real close in the chorus, you can hear exactly what I mean by a “hint” of FLICKERSTICK.

“Rainy Days,” pure and simple, is the kind of song you would have heard (or seen) on MTV every 30 minutes back in the late 80’s. A great arrangement, strong chorus and some really nice guitar work and solo could have made this song an all out hit single!
Nice job, guys!

Next up is the ballady “Give You Away.” Another nice track… more on the lines of a “power-ballad” which again has a slight AMERICAN ANGEL or STAGE DOLLS feel to it.

“Let Me Sleep” kicks it back up a couple of notches and reminds me of some of the edgier PC-69 material while “Dead to Me” reverts back to that STAGE DOLLS sound. Another great song featuring some nice vocals and a smooth, harmonic guitar solo.

“Fallen Heros” sounds like an outtake of BLACK N’ BLUE’s “Without Love” CD… and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Very melodic, with yet another nice guitar solo by Cramer but definitely has that west-coast, summertime groove to it. “It’s Got To Be” also continues on in this vein.

“Leap of Faith” is the album’s only true ballad. To be honest, this is the only track I’m not all that crazy about. I mean, the lyrics are ok, it has a nice melody but, to me, it just seems to drag a little bit without going anywhere. I wish I could put my finger on it, but something just seems to be missing.

Now we’re back to normal! “Taste” kicks right back into that hard-rock, melodic sound I have come to appreciate from these guys. Another brilliant track combining a powerful chorus with a great, toe-tapping melody that’ll have you hitting the “back” button on your CD player more than once!

Then finally we come to “Hungry!” Just like the CD started, “Hungry!” definitely has that hard-edged AMERICAN ANGEL vibe with its harsher melody and heavier guitar work making it the perfect ending leaving the listener dying for more.

With the exception of the one song I spoke of earlier (but hey, maybe it’s just me on that one!), this is just a great, great release. GOODBYE THRILL’s “virgin” release sounds like it’s anything but… the great arrangements, impressive production and overall substantial quality of music rivals that of any seasoned band that got their cherry popped a long time ago. If you’re a fan of that hard, melodic rock sound, then this will be a welcomed addition to your collection.