|  |  |  |  |  |  | | | | | | Bio of the Artist | RaZoR had mastered the groin-punch assault of hard rock, but creative ambitions left them restless, yearning to explore other musical styles. On their debut album, Thunder in a Bottle, the Vancouver, B.C.-based duo of vocalist/guitarist Ray Roper and drummer Jo Ziccardo let their artistry run wild. From the bluesy melancholy of “Baby Don’t Cry” to the ZZ Top-ish fuzz bomb “Good Girls” to the Pink Floyd-esque dreamy introspection of “Lost in Time” to the Adult Alternative mid-tempo groove of “Back in My Arms,” RaZoR refuse to be easily categorized.
RaZoR uses fist-pumping rock & roll as a foundation for its sonic versatility. However, RaZoR’s definition of rock has its roots in the stadium-filling power metal of the ‘80s, when choruses were big enough to wrap around the globe and catchy as an infectious disease but tasty as cotton candy. While most of today’s so-called “new metal” acts limit their range to repetitive, deafening roadkill-scraping riffs and Cookie Monster vocals, RzR aren’t afraid to inject loud, crunchy rock & roll with soaring saxophones and lush keyboards.
During the ‘70s and ’80s Roper was the guitarist for the Grammy-nominated act Stonebolt, garnering a Top-30 smash with the single, “I Will Still Love You.” Ziccardo was a member of Pegasus and managed nightclubs in Vancouver, including The Embassy. Together they resurrect a classic-rock sensibility to the headbanger genre, bringing back the youthful exuberance and explosive color of being in a rock band. | | |
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