After serving with other bands since the 1980s a group of rock veterans formed Roadfever in 2005, but it wasn't until 2008 that the wheels began fully turning. As they began to pick up speed they produced the initial release of this debut album, 'Wheels On Fire', as far back as 2009. It is immediately obvious that Roadfever want to play up to their name. The album sleeve is adorned with images of big American cars and engine symbolism. Add to this song titles such as 'Burnout', 'Hellbound', and 'Death Valley', and you can readily see where we're going with 'Wheels On Fire', and it's not to an Absolutely Fabulous costume party.

So it may come as no surprise when I explain that this album embodies the classic rock vibe, built on pillars of leather, dust and cruising hot rods. So unmistakably American is their sound that you may indeed be surprised to find that they are actually from Switzerland. More known for its scenic alpine train journeys than its dust-swept open roads, the Swiss have nonetheless produced a band with much in common with ZZ Top or Lynyrd Skynyrd; evident throughout but particularly in strong songs such as 'Break Down The Walls'. Perhaps it shouldn't be that surprising that these Swiss do rock, as they hail from the same country that gave those head-hunters, Krokus, to the world.

No matter how prevalent burning rubber is to Roadfever, however, those train tracks are never far away and the song 'Runaway Train' (not the Soul Asylum song of the same name), is a strong acoustic ballad that continues to confidently carry that southern rock sound. (Incidentally I got sidetracked reading into Krokus and found out that Chris Von Rohr founded the name when observing flowers from the window of his train...)

I digress... 'Wheels On Fire' is an album that ends the way it begins. It is straight down the line (there it is again), riffing, guitar-solo riddled, classic rock of a southern kind. It stomps and it swaggers and it's here. The song 'Roadfever' sets it out thus:

Rock'd out, blues'd down
We are on the freeway
We're out there, nobody cares
Here on stage, we are all together
Four in one, that's getting rare.

www.reverbnation.com/roadfever