Things I Miss: Blessed By A Broken Heart - Feel The Power

It's been quite some time since I have put these guys on my phone due to the overload of music on a weekly basis coming to my inbox.  However, it's always refreshing and reassuring to throw some albums that you might have cranked in the past few years.  One of those bands happens to be Montreal's Blessed By A Broken Heart.

Formed back in 2003, the group had a steady climb to fame in the Canadian metal industry.  They had many great labels for promotion such as Blood & Ink, Century Media, and Tooth & Nail Records. The group went through a few lineup changes over the years, but a core group of members remained consistent during their climb to popularity.

Now I discovered these guys as they were promoting their 2008 album "Pedal To The Metal" and their hit single "She Wolf". A hard hitting track with a great amount of throwback vibe straight out of the 80's with the flashy album covers, and the distinct synth backing tracks.  Tony Gambino's vocals had me hooked right from the get go, as it seemed to compliment the music very well. That and the added shredding of Maier and Ryder only added to the awesomeness tat was this group.

So the album that I have been spinning again these past few days was their third and final album titled "Feel The Power".  The imagery was very post-apocalyptic with leather, motorcycles, and all the elements that would have made for a great cameo (or soundtrack single) in the new Mad Max movie. The music videos saw them a little more stripped down though to straight up rock n roll clothing, as seen in their music video "Forever".



Even though the world of synth-rock sound does grow stale from time to time, Blessed By A Broken Heart prove they have a lot to offer with Feel The Power. By not only managing to blur the lines between between modern and classic rock, but doing so without sacrificing the accessibility or catchiness of a single track, BBABH have set themselves apart in a time where many cannot. Seek them out, give Feel The Power a chance, and, even if it is something you end up purchasing, rest soundly knowing there are still great realms of sonic exploration to be heard. -Under The Gun

The glam aspect really came through on this track I found, especially with the tones and sound of the instruments.  The chorus also sounded like something that would have been straight out of a Whitesnake, or Poison hit track.  All in all, there was something about this group that had me reaching back to my very early years of RnR.

"Feel The Power" was released on January 24th, 2012 via Tooth & Nail Records.  The lineup for this album was:

Tony Gambino - Vocals | "Shred" Sean Maier - Guitar | Sam Ryder - Guitar/Vocals

Tyler Hoare - Bass/Vocals | Slater - Drums/Vocals

Glam Rock/Metal is a genre that not many active artists are actively pursuing, but it’s great to see Blessed By A Broken Heart helping to revitalize this genre for younger generations that may not have grown up in the latter part of the 20th Century. It may not be the Glam music that you (or your parents) grew up listening to in your Walkman, but for what it’s worth this is a great modernization of a previous genre. -Indie Vision Music

The album landed on the US Heat Charts, but ultimately fell short of industry expectations as the group disbanded shortly after it's release.  Well, I wouldn't say right after the release.  Gambino left in July, 2012 for personal reasons, which led to the band breakup announcement from Sean Maier in September, 2013.  For all intents and purposes, I think this album was a great success.

(Album artwork is courtesy of BBABH and Tooth & Nail Records)

1. Deathwish
2. Shut Up and Rock
3. Love Nightmare
4. Forever
5. Thunder Dome
6. Holdin' Back for Nothin'
7. I've Got You
8. Rockin' All Night
9. Scream It Like You Mean It
10. Skate Or Die
11. Innocent Blood
12. Sleepless Nights

For fans of 80s Metal it will be easy to get caught in the web of “Feel The Power”. It is easy, fluent and it has these tough moments of Hardcore bearing an old personality of blood & guts. Despite the fact that it is hard to isolate the greatest tracks, I propose to have a go on “Sleepless Nights”, “Deathwish”, “Shut Up and Rock”, “Holdin' Back For Nothin'”, “Love Nightmare” and “Skate Or Die”. If you want war you got it but if you want true Metal and Hard Rock along with a little dose mustard on the side, this album is for you, go for it now. BLESSED BY A BROKEN HEART are on the right way to capture many hearts, I know that they caught mine and I am glad they did. -Metal Temple



So I hope you all got a chance to check these guys out, and hopefully agree with me when I say I would have liked to see more of these guys in the future.  I know the group stated lack of promotion and legalities with record labels (which could be argued from either side of the coin) but with this day and age of self promotion, I hope they crowd fund an album from their dedicated fans and throw something together.  I would surely contribute towards it.