Collateral's 'Collateral' - Album Review

As much as I love following all of the classic rock and heavy metal bands, many of whom are still releasing vital new albums and putting on high-energy live shows, I also like to make the effort to keep up with as many of the newly-formed rock and metal acts as I can. It always amuses me when people, usually the older generation, make sweeping statements along the lines of: 'There is no good music anymore!'; as those of us in the know know just how untrue that statement is. The sad truth is that so many are just unwilling to make the effort to discover new bands. In truth, many of those making the kind of statement quoted probably have not actively listened to a new album since around 1978 - which is a shame as there are plenty of new bands, young and old, who are out there paying tribute to the classic bands while putting their own spin on the sound. Such is the glut of new bands, that certain portions of the rock press are referring to the current scene as the 'New Wave of Classic Rock' (NWOCR) - a name that pays tribute to the old NWOBHM movement and acknowledges that old-school rock music is making something of a comeback. While, in my view, the semi-official NWOCR movement often promotes and gets excited about some of the more average new rock bands that are cropping up over the country; one of the bands that is starting to receive some traction is a four-piece from Kent called Collateral. Collateral formed around five years ago as the Angelo Tristan Band (after the band's frontman) but have since morphed into Collateral with guitarist Todd Winger, bassist Jack Bentley-Smith, and drummer Ben Atkinson joining Tristan in the band's ranks. The band have been touring around under both names for a while now, but made their recording debut in 2018 with the release of their EP 4 Shots!. A strong collection of melodic, pop rock songs, 4 Shots! certainly helped to introduce Collateral to the world. Two years later however, and the band have arguably launched themselves proper - as their self-titled debut album was released last month. In my opinion, Collateral is a big step up from the material found on 4 Shots!. The songs are much catchier, the melodies are stronger, and the production is much more lush. It is clear that Collateral is a band that are still learning their trade, but Collateral is a great statement of intent from this young group. Soundwise, Collateral's style is a bit of a cross between early Bon Jovi, Richard Marx, and the Eagles. The overriding influence here is 1980s pop rock, but there is certainly a chunk of both AOR and country rock to be found throughout the album's nine songs.

One thing that is instantly clear during a listen to this album is just how lean it is. So many newer albums are bloated to the point of harm, with bands seeming to want to fill up a CD just because they can. Collateral seem to know the value of fat-trimming however, as none of the album's nine songs overstay their welcome - which really helps the overall flow. Nearly any of the songs here could have been released as a single, but the album opens with one of them - the hard-rocking Mr Big Shot. While Collateral are a hard rock act, they are rarely particularly heavy. Mr Big Shot is one of the album's somewhat tougher offerings, but the melodies are still particularly strong with an anthemic chorus providing something of a highlight. Winger's muscular, yet simple, guitar riff drives the opening portion of the track; but the verses on the whole are bass-led with some slightly funky playing from Bentley-Smith. At first this stripped back approach seems strange, especially early on in the album, but it actually works well - and it really helps the big choruses to stand out. Unsurprisingly for a band so clearly influenced by 1980s rock, the choruses are pretty poppy and filled with big harmony vocals. Mr Big Shot's is no different, with Tristan showcasing his knack for a catchy vocal melody while Winger occasionally lays down a bluesy lead guitar run. Promiseland is a little darker in tone, although this darkness is only really a relative concept. There are still plenty of big melodies to be found here, but there is a bit of a murk to the verses which feature some more atmospheric guitar patterns. Tristan tackles the song with a bit more grit in comparison to his usual delivery, which helps to give the track a somewhat heavier overall feel. Despite these points, the song is still very much faithful to the sound the album permeates. There are lots of catchy vocal melodies to sing along to, particularly during the Slang-era Def Leppard-esque chorus, and Winger lays down a melodic, shredded solo part of the way through. Merry Go Round is based around a slightly beefy bluesy guitar riff from Winger, but Tristan adds depth throughout with his acoustic guitar chords. Quite a few of the songs on the album are enhanced by Tristan's acoustic antics, with his playing helping to give those songs something of an edge. The production style chosen for the album is quite simple, which means the acoustic additions really stand out. The album is not layered with keyboards or effects for example, while allows the band's core sound to shine - with the only more 'over the top' elements being the period-appropriate harmony vocals. These harmonies are put to good use throughout this track, with the melodic chorus really benefiting from their enhancement - pushing Tristan's catchy melodies right to the fore.

In It For Love is one of my favourite tracks on the album, and is also one of the few to feature a bit of a larger production - with some 1980s-style synths used throughout to deepen the sound. From Tristan's high-pitched scream at the beginning of the song, the track just oozes classic 1980s AOR - and the melodies throughout only reinforce this feeling. The verses are quite low key, with another strong Bentley-Smith bass presence, but the choruses really explode with lush harmony vocals and more sultry melodies from Tristan. It is probably the catchiest chorus on the album, and the big sound aided by the keyboards really help it to stand out among the many other catchy moments on the album. Winger's melodic guitar solo helps to pin everything together, and also helps to become one of the best melodic rock tracks of 2020 yet! Lullaby is a bit heavier, with Atkinson even employing some double bass drumming on occasion - but this toughness works really well, and provides a bit of a contrast to the sugary previous song. I get the impression that Collateral have not yet quite worked out which style is best-suited to them, with their debut album trying out a few different vibes. They all work well, but I imagine that over time the band will hone their sound and settle on the type of rock that they want to provide. Lullaby is a bit of an outlier in that regard as it certainly the toughest thing here - although there are still plenty of strong melodies, and another decent chorus with some catchy wordless vocals. Midnight Queen, re-purposed from the 4 Shots! EP, showcases a bit of a country rock sound with an acoustic-heavy chorus and an overall more laid back vibe. The band's love of Bon Jovi certainly shines through here, and it represents the sort of care-free laid back rocker that seems to have been eluding Jon Bon Jovi for the past decade or so. The prominent acoustic guitars may put off some of the more 'serious' rockers, but the melodies here are certainly irresistible. It is hard to hear the song and not instantly want to sing it, as the chorus in particular is very strong. Winger helps to reinforce the song's rock credentials too with plenty of strong bursts of lead guitar. The bluesy explosions during the verses add colour, and there is another strong solo part of the way through that is a flurry of notes to break up the somewhat laid back vibe created elsewhere.

Get Back to You is the album's longest song and the only song here to breach the five minutes mark. All good melodic rock albums need a power ballad, and Get Back to You is Collateral's offering in that regard. Tristan drives the song with his acoustic guitar and husky vocals, while some subtle keyboards and strings add depth. As with many ballads, the verses are very gentle with everything really ramping up towards a big chorus. Atkinson's drums really crash through the mix to drive the big choruses - his hard-hitting style providing a contrast to the more acoustic-based verses - while Tristan belts the slightly cliché lyrics out with real earnest. It would not be a true power ballad without a little earnestness, so I think we can forgive Collateral if the song is a little trope-heavy. A slow-burning Winger guitar solo is the icing on the cake too - with his bluesy style fitting perfectly into the overall feeling of the song. Won't Stop Me Dreaming is similar to In It For Love, with a strong up-beat 1980s AOR vibe and a catchy chorus that even makes use of some subtle gang vocals throughout. It is not quite as successful as the earlier song however in my opinion, but still does enough to stand out on its own terms. The length of the album really gives each song a chance to shine. The focus on big melodies also helps, as it means that each chorus really jumps out of the speakers and into the brain. While elements of this song might not be as strong as some of the other offerings here, the chorus is still catchy - and the upbeat energy really helps the track to hold its own on the album. About This Boy, the album's closing track, is another country-based track that has something of an Eagles vibe with lots of acoustic guitars, occasional bursts of bluesy slide and piano, and a great storytelling lyric - that again is a little cliché but it works well. Sometimes things are cliché because they work well, and Collateral have the look and overall sound to make these kind of wistful songs work nicely. I imagine that Tristan cut his teeth doing loads of solo acoustic shows up and down the country and this is the sort of song that I imagine came out of those treks. It is based around his voice and acoustic guitar, with the rest of the band really supporting his vision here - with the slide guitar melodies in particular being a great touch. It is a good way to close out the album too, with a bit of storytelling and a whimsical attitude that acts in contrast to the tougher riffing and more anthemic choruses that filled the album's earlier songs. Overall, Collateral is a really strong debut album from this Kent-based four-piece that shows that they have the talent to go a long way. I think that over time the band will hone their sound further and decide exactly what sort of rock band that they want to be - and they are a band that I will be following closely over the years to come.

The album was released on 21st February 2020 via Roulette Media Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Mr Big Shot.