When Summers Gone – December
Self-Released

(4/5)

Rock music is a genre that has lasted throughout the years because of great bands and their ability to write enjoyable music. Today, Rock music is spread out over a wide variety of different styles that separate them by their different sounds. What does a smart band do? Break down the borders and transcend having to be labeled as one specific style of Rock. That’s what When Summers Gone has done with their debut album entitled December. Formed of multi-instrumentalists Dave Graziani (Vocals/Guitars/Piano) and Chris Lepri (Drums/Bass), When Summers Gone has combined the sounds of multiple bands including Alice In Chains, Incubus, and Sevendust with some more influence by bands such as Machine Head, The Deftones, and even some Bruce Springsteen and created Hard rock that brings back meaning to the genre. On top of that, December is a concept album that combines 8 individual tracks to create a story about “a character who loses a friend at a young age and is forced to deal with complex emotions, all while growing up”. I have a feeling that this story will hit home to more than one person who listens to this great album. As mentioned, this album is made up of tracks that can act on their own as well as being part of the story, and though each one is as important as the others, there are a few I would recommend listening to to get a good feel for When Summers Gone including, but not limited to “Welcome Home” (Track 2), “Hangover” (Track 4), and “10/6″ (Track 7). Each of these three tracks shows a different sound that When Summers Gone is bringing to the table and that shows the relationship of all of their influences. All in all, December is a great album for Hard rock fans and I suggest it to anyone looking for some more Hard rock for their music arsenal.