42 Decibel have documented one thing beyond a doubt: traditional rock’n’roll is universal and stops neither at geographical borders nor current trends and fashions. The way this young band get down to business in the studio and live on stage brings to mind acts such as AC/DC, Airbourne, The Answer and Buckcherry. 42 Decibel sound like they might hail from Australia, the US, England or Scandinavia. But in fact the quartet stems from Argentina, where they have recently shaken all the hottest clubs in and around Buenos Aires to their very foundations. Their debut album Hard Rock’n’Roll is a classy, spirited rock pamphlet and has been scheduled for release on 24 June 2013 (Germany: 21 June 2013 US/Canada: 2 July 2013).
Nicko Cambiasso is the band’s mastermind. He founded 42 Decibel in January 2010 and indicates the band’s general direction: “I’m the man behind the project, in a way from the very beginning the one who set the direction of our sound, where we should aim in terms of our songwriting and how we should develop in the future,” Cambiasso explains. “I’m really old school, I like the drums to be pretty straightforward and to sound solid in order to go straight into the aural tract of our listeners.” The group’s frontman is vocalist/guitarist Junior Figueroa, who founded 42 Decibel together with Cambiasso. “Junior is the youngest of the band members, a great frontman, very dynamic on stage,” Cambiasso describes his colleague, “one of the best guitarists I’ve played with. As a lot of people say after having seen one of our shows: ‘He’s out of this world’.” The band is completed by bassist Chris Marck Towers and rhythm/slide guitarist Billy Bob Riley. “Billy Bob is a very easy-going person who explodes on stage and can’t stop moving even for a second. Thanks to his slide guitar skills, we’ve succeeded in broadening our compositional range,” Cambiasso enthuses, commenting equally positively on his bassist: “Chris is a tougher guy, he’s got a great groove. He’s not one of those who play one and the same note all the time. His bass riffs add that special touch which sets us apart from other bands in this genre.”
42 Decibel’s first 7-track demo saw the light of day back in spring 2010, defining the basis of their sound. Now the band are ready to present their first album Hard Rock’n’Roll, recorded with the support of sound engineer Patricio Claypole at the El Attic Studios and mastered by Justin Weis (Papa Roach, The Tubes) at San Francisco’s Trakworx Studios. The debut’s title hints at the direction of the album: traditional rock music which goes straight to gut and into your feet. The musician’s influences are unmistakable and as renowned as they are legendary: “Our sound is pretty much old school, vintage, straightforward and genuine,” says Cambiasso. “We all love AC/DC, Jimi Hendrix, Creedence Clearwater Revival, ZZ Top, Led Zeppelin, Rose Tattoo, Elvis Presley, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Lynyrd Skynyrd. We just try to play the music we want to listen to and go back to our roots.”
Cambiasso is referring to haunting rock tracks such as ‘Scotch Drinker’, ‘Smokin’ Fire’ and ‘Addicted To Rage’ with their uncompromising drive and disarming directness. ‘Gimme A Drink’, for example, refers to a fairly unattractive woman who seems to become more interesting after a few drinks. ‘Rocker Soul’ with its powerful and gritty riff also deserves a mention and is the thematic symbol of the band’s philosophy. Cambiasso: “´Rocker Soul` was the first song we composed together.” Probably the most unusual track on Hard Rock’n’Roll is ‘Long Legged Woman’. “The Song has that Australian sound, but with a touch of Southern Rock, and features one of the guitar solos I most enjoy on the record.” That’s pretty much all you need to know about the album for the time being. The outstanding songs on 42 Decibel’s album are set to answer any questions you may have!