50 STATES OF HARD ROCK #21: MASSACHUSETTS
Release: Grafite
Year: 1994
Line-up: Marco (vocals, rhythm guitar), Busy Pete (lead guitar), Eddie Festa (drums)
Track Listing:
01 - The Evening News.
02 - Change.
03 - No Reason To Cry.
04 - Tearing Me Apart.
05 - So You Think You're Special.
06 - Time.
07 - Whisper.
08 - The Will.
09 - Gigolo.
10 - She's A Pig.
11 - One Thing (acoustic).
12 - One Thing.
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Fletchanator's
comment: The easy and obvious option when choosing a band from this state would be Extreme, Boston or Aerosmith, but instead here is obscure Boston-area trio Grafite and their self-released 1994 debut album. The story goes that A&M Records signed the band and got them into the studio to record these tracks, but when it was time to release the album the label decided hair metal was dead. After some legal wrangling the band instead put out the album themselves.This album really does reflect on the time period that it was recorded in, mixing the hair metal sound of the late 80s with more 90s influences. There's a strong funk element in places and a definite attempt at being socially-conscious - the album opens with soundbites of news clips about murders, then goes into the first song called "Changes". By 1994 it wasn't enough to sing about partying anymore, the emergence of grunge had made social commentary and angst the new standard.
Don't worry though because mixed in with the "serious" songs is some good party metal - songs like "So You Think You're Special", "Gigolo", "She's a Pig" and "One Thing". Overall I'd compare their sound with bands like Saigon Kick, Extreme and King's X.
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