Fighting Instinct - 'Fighting Instinct'

Fighting Instinct, Gotee Record's new 3-piece band out of North Carolina, brings some seriously strong rock tracks to the table with their self-titled debut. While some folks like to say that you don't have to be in key to sing rock n' roll, thankfully lead vocalist/guitarist T.J. Harris doesn't subscribe to that theory. He sings as well as he plays ... a strong voice and serious chops ... who could ask for more?

Imagine, if you will, taking a dash of Audioslave, a handful of 12 Stones, a nice sized helping of King's X and a pinch of Lynyrd Skynyrd and throwing it all in a blender. Wonder what you would get? Fighting Instinct! This new 3-piece rock band out of North Carolina rocks with a purpose, which is pretty obvious when you listen to their lyrics.

Now don't get me wrong, this CD isn't just 10 tracks of wide-open rock. As luck would have it, Fighting Instinct has a softer side too, which they show off in ballads such as "The Call" and "Just To Please You." But, the rockers, like "You Don’t Know," "Light My Way" and "I Found Forever" are the meat and potatoes of this release.

It's really nice to hear a new rock band that doesn't stray too far to the pop/rock side of things or lean more towards power chords and screams to get their point across. Fighting Instinct has the technical skills found in classic rock without sounding a bit dated. They may not have re-invented the wheel, but they turn it so well with strong influences from the music they grew up hearing, why should they?

Fighting Instinct has what it takes to go places. My son just compared them to Alter Bridge, one of his favorite bands (former Creed member Mark Tremonti) ... high praise indeed. He's making plans to make this release disapear to the depths of his room. But that is not happening because this one is mine.