Toby Hitchcock – Mercury’s Down
Frontiers Records
www.frontiers.it
Rating: B+
When someone as respected in the world of Melodic
Rock as Jim Peterik wants you in his band then you know
you have something going for you. When the American born
and Midwestern raised Toby Hitchcock fell in love with
Rock “n’ Roll, he probably never dreamed he would be
hand picked by Peterik, the mastermind behind the band
Survivor, and writer of many of AOR’s biggest standout
tracks, to be in his band, Pride of Lions.
With Pride of Lions taking some downtime, Hitchcock
hooked up with AOR icon Erik Martensson for his first
solo release. With Martensson writing, playing on, and
producing the album, one knew this was going to drip of
melody. No one could have predicted, however, that
Hitchcock would deliver the performance of his lifetime.
There was never any doubt that he was a skilled singer
but his power and passion on this album place him in the
Jeff Scott Soto arena.
Martensson and Hitchcock have great chemistry. If
there is any knock on Erik Martensson it is that his
music tends to be better suited for foreign audiences,
as it somehow does not possess the right mix of
ingredients that American audiences love when it comes
to power pop. With Hitchcock onboard, the recipe is
perfected. Toby gives this batch of songs the perfect
balance that makes this music assessable to all fans of
Rock. Erik delivers big hooks, memorable riffs and
killer solos while Toby delivers big every time he opens
his mouth.
Melodic Rock can be a genre where all music tends to
sound the same to anyone other than the genre’s biggest
fans. Toby Hitchcock’s music sounds fresh and exciting.
One listen to “This is the Moment,” “How to Stop,”
“Different Drum,” “Mercury’s Down,” “Let Go” or “Tear
Down the Barricades” and you will sit up and pay
attention, knowing you’re listening to great music made
by great musicians.
By Jeb Wright
