RUFFYUNZ (feat. Pat Travers ) – S/T (2019) Digi Pack

Few days ago we featured in exclusive RUFFYUNZ III, the new 2023 third album from the partnership between bassist Randy Pratt (Cactus / The Lizards), Emmy winning engineer/guitarist JZ Barrell, and powerhouse singer Ed Terry (Slash, Keith Richards, David Lee Roth band) – plus a collection of drum, guitar and keyboard masters.

Many of you asked for RUFFYUNZ previous volumes – not easy to find – so we have here RUFFYUNZ first, self-titled album.
That all-star guest formula started with second album RUFFYUNZ II, but this very first, self-titled release was more a ‘concrete band’; founder and groove bassist Randy Pratt, Ed Terry on lead vocals, studio / session guitarist Jesse Berlin, and drummers T.C. Tolliver (The Plasmatics) and Neil Cicione.
However, there was a rockstar participating on the entire recording: guitar master Pat Travers play solos all over the recording, by his a own and via incendiary duets with Berlin.
This is a killer heavy-guitar driven rock n’ roll album, retro classic from every corner.

The overall feel of the 9 songs on this debut is funky hard rock, the groove laden tunes proving to be a launching pad for Terry’s powerful vocals and plenty of white hot soloing from Berlin & Travers especially.
“Tonight” and “Freedom” are a great 1-2 punch to kick off the album, guitar firepower and funky rhythms abound on each, while “Pressure” even brings some horns into the mix for a bluesier feel. The band launch into a bluesy, almost doomy vibe for “On the Road”, while “Mist” continues on with those darker tones, images of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Cactus pouring all over the arrangement and a killer vocal from Terry soaring over the top.

“Funky Heavy and Tight” is exactly as it states, funky, heavy, and tight, another Cactus inspired slice of groove laden & hard rocking heavy blues, and “Hard Times” is upbeat & melodic, reminding at times of Mr. Big with its soaring vocal harmonies and virtuoso guitar and bass riffs.
For the finale, the band launch into “Demons”, a heavy blues rock piece with some killer riffs and blazing solos.

Pretty heavy stuff here on this debut release from Ruffyunz, a crunchy blues / funk / hard rock debut from this great project, plenty of inspired performances and memorable material.
Highly Recommended

 

01 – Tonight
02 – Freedom
03 – Pressure
04 – On The Road
05 – Mist
06 – Frantic
07 – Funky Heavy And Tight
08 – Hard Times
09 – Demons

Ed Terry – vocals
Randy Pratt – bass
Jesse Berlin – guitar
T.C. Tolliver, Neil Cicione – drums
Pat Travers – guitar solos

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