Unsteady and uneven

Thadeus Gonzalez has released his third studio album titled Opposite Faces. The album comes three years after Silver Inside, which ignited the spark to his solo career as he was quickly contracted to open for big artists such as KISS, Mötley Crüe and Bon Jovi. Gonzalez is famed for his straightforward attitude and interesting spin on hard rock. He captures the attention of millions of fanatics through his experimental sounds, blending genres in the most unimaginable ways possible.

Opposite Faces kicks off with “The Death Of A Good Hustle.” The first half of this track seems to be a sample of a Michael Jackson ’80s hit, brimming with energy and a different kind of melody. It starts with rhythmic drums and mysterious synthesizer sounds before introducing a rocking guitar riff. The chorus alongside the female backing vocals and rock and roll guitar riffs can be extremely catchy, but this track seems to be cut a bit short. Yet despite this, it leaves the audience intrigued enough to keep listening to the rest of the album.

The intense energy carries through the next track, “Ripe,” providing a near-live-concert experience. The electric guitars and smashing drums will have fans wishing they could see Gonzalez perform this live. However, this high and intense energy is quickly disturbed by “Horses Lay Down,” a track that appears to have been misplaced and simply hits the snooze button.

The album launches a huge wave of energy straight from the ’80s as Gonzalez channels all the airhead and metal hair bands in a single song titled “Lightning Hits The Land.” This track will take fanatics for an extremely wild ride and will leave many with crazy-winded ’80s hair as the guitar solo on this track blows listeners away. This track single-handedly saves the entire album, providing the life it needed much sooner.

Thadeus Gonzalez channels his idols such as David Bowie, Stevie Nicks and Def Leppard throughout Opposite Faces. However, most of the tracks seem to be misplaced and do not carry out a steady level of energy. It is as though the rhythm and flow of the music are constantly interrupted, thus leaving listeners the desire to keep that skip button at bay.