There’s a moment on “Wild Games” where your brain does that little double-take. Second song in, “One Way To Rock” turns up and you’re thinking: hang on… is that…? And yeah, it absolutely is — IT’sALIE taking on Sammy Hagar’s “One Way To Rock” (with Rick Altzi along for the ride). And honestly, it makes perfect sense: that song is so good it’s impossible to get wrong — and IT’sALIE know that as well as anyone.
But the best bit is, it doesn’t derail the album — it underlines what IT’sALIE are going for here. This is hard rock with an 80s heart, built on choruses you can punch the air to, riffs with proper bite, and the kind of hooks that don’t ask permission, they just move in.
Opener “Waiting For The Rain” is exactly that: strident, chest-out, and powered by a brilliant voice that knows how to sell a big chorus without sounding like it’s trying to impress anyone. It sets the stall out early — melody first, muscle second, and both of them turned up.
Then comes that Hagar classic, and fair play — they don’t try to be clever with it, they just deliver it. It fits the record like it was written for it, and it keeps the momentum raging.
“Living In The City” is where the sheer joy in the music really carries it, because it’s the sound of a band having an absolute blast and dragging you along by the collar. “History Remains” follows with the hooks and the class you only get when the writing is doing the heavy lifting — no fuss, no bloat, just bang.
Things bite back a little more on “Believers Of Leaders” (and yes, given the title, you’d expect it to be angrier — it is), before “Rebels” leans heavier and bluesier, like someone’s just kicked the door in and decided the room needs more grit.
“Bring It On” sounds exactly like its name: a dare, a challenge, something you probably shouldn’t take lightly. “Gates Of Faith” goes for that bigger, more anthemic reach — the sort of tune that’s built to be shouted back at the stage. And “Wake Up Call” is one of those annoyingly effective numbers where you’re humming it later without realising you’ve signed up to it.
By the time you hit “Death Road” the vibe turns darker and more driven, before “Spirits” closes the album like a last exhale — still melodic, still hard rock, still absolutely committed to the idea that songs should stick.
This is the thing with “Wild Games”: it’s not reinventing the wheel, it’s making the wheel spin faster, with better choruses and a proper sense of purpose. And if you’re going to salute the 80s, you may as well do it with this much punch.
RATING 8/10
