KENNY DUBMAN “Conflicted”

Self released, 2022

Music: Hard Rock
Website: www.kennydubman.com
Duration: 55:00 (11 tracks)
Country: U.S.A

For those who ardently follow the Hard Rock scene, then the name Kenny Dubman may not be new for you. Dubbed as one of the greatest and most respected New Jersey musicians, Kenny’s work at Prophets is still studied by budding Rock artists and how his band played over 5 shows in a week to get their name out. The band collectively released a total of 3 albums in a gap of 3 years. Although the band kept a cult following around NJ, the band then put brakes on newer releases and shows. There have been talks that Kenny was tired of how the music industry functions, hence it moved out of this space to lend his focus on other things.

The story never ends…by 2013 when Kenny was recovering from trauma he had faced in his personal life, he stumbled upon a release from Blackberry Smoke which got his brain working on newer ideas. 3 years later he would release his first solo album “Reckless Abandon”. Since then he has released 2 and the third one “Conflicted” will hit the shelves by April 2022. Lucky for me, I got an early promotional copy to listen to and pen my thoughts. Before getting into the music, I wanted to share his story!

The first track “Old Dog” starts very Old School Rock-esque with a screeching intro right into a catchy one-line hook. There’s a solo towards the end of the track, which is melodic and very fitting to the mood of the song! While “Modern Day Jesus” which has a hint of Organ and “Robbing You Blind” were both decent tracks, it was “You Belong” that got me on my feet. For some reason, it reminded me of Punk bands more than OG Rock. Especially for the drum fill intro through to a very short hook and then straight into the anthemic chorus. It will only take a few seconds for you to start chanting with Kenny! Perhaps my favourite track from this album, considering my love for Punk bands.

“Stuck on Replay” is another track that I listened to on replay. Though many would point out the song being led by vocals, I would say the guitars have equal importance to keep it all together. The drums, as usual, doesn’t spoil the mix by looking overpowered, but just enough to drive the song forward. The penultimate track “For the Taking” is different from what we have heard before. It is a slow track with an emphasis on melody, and melody only! “Wool Over the Eyes” is a more Folk-Rock-ish song with Kenny making sure listeners pay close attention to the words more than the tone. A brilliant way to close a great album!

Overall, I feel “Conflicted” will surely cater to those who love Old School Rock. Nowadays it is very hard to find anything straightforward – every band prefer doing some stuff that has a progressive, symphonic or atmospheric written in its tail. Hence some may find this album a bit different, but in my opinion, that is the beauty of Kenny Dubman. Strongly taking on the modern rock with an old school twist. This album is worth spending your money over, and I, for sure will purchase a hard copy of my own when it gets out in 29 April, 2022!

Tracklist:

1. Old Dog (ft. Charlie Starr)
2. Modern Day Jesus
3. Beautiful Like You
4. Robbing You Blind
5. Toeing The Line
6. You Belong
7. Stuck On Replay
8. Cruelest Of Them All (ft. Zakk Wilde)
9. Winter Wind (ft. Scotti Hill)
10. Pitiful Fool
11. For The Taking
12. Wool Over Your Eyes

Line-up:

Kenny Dubman – guitar & vocals
Eric Winnicki – bass
Joe Bellia – drums
Rob Clores – keys
Tommy Grasso & Toni Messina – background vocals