Forty Deuce

Forty Deuce was Richie Kotzen's (ex-Mr. Big, ex-Poison) 2003-2005 project. He has distinguished himself as an exceptional guitarist throughout the years, but with this group his intention isn't to show-off his tremendous skills... instead the focus is on songwriting. Actually it's pleasant to note that Kotzen has matured as a musician since his early years as a solo artist. In case you've listened to Kotzen's solo records, you have in all likelihood noticed how different his first albums sound compared to his most recent offerings (nowadays Kotzen doesn't shred lightning licks too often).

In the beginning Forty Deuce concentrated on performing live... numerous live performances preceded releasing "Nothing to Lose", which is the debut album of this group. Actually, FD was already formed in 2003 at an after hours party, joining Taka, a Tokyo native on guitar, Aro on bass and THR3E on drums. To give an impression of how passionate the members of this band are, one must point out the immediate songwriting process that followed the founding of this group. Musically Forty Deuce is a hard rock group that places a strong emphasis on chorus, and definitely has an edge to their sound. Their songs have good groove but also melodies are memorable.

The production on this album is somewhat harsh, which seems to suit this record well. Slight background distortion occurs few times, but it isn't too obtrusive. Since the sounds have raw power to them, the mix complements the music quite seamlessly. All in all, Forty Deuce is a group to be aware of.