Dobermann – Shaken To The Core (2021) Review

There is still a pretty big hype about Italian rock ‘n’ roll, at least here in Europe,  after Måneskin’s  big win at the Eurovision contest. For most of the rock fans these youngsters are probably the first introduction to the Italian scene, but for those with a much more interest, one name usually comes up first – Doberamann! This powerhouse trio led by the bassist and vocalist Paul Del Bello, along with guitarist Valerio Ricciardi and drummer Antonio Burzotta released their fifth album Shaken To The Core at the beginning of June.

Album Shaken To The Core comes four years after their last effort Pure Breed which introduced us to the English version of this bands discography, more or less. It was a great record and the bar was set very high with it’s release. Therefore expectation of the new one was obviously even higher. Dobermann’s carrier was not always easy so to speak. Most of the time they were on their own, without a label or proper promotion. But that didn’t stop them. They worked hard touring all over Europe with acts like The Quireboys, Great White, Inglorious and more.

Listening to the whole album I got the impression of the bands significant improvement. Yes, the whole thing is still raw, it still has that unique bite (the dobermann bite), but there is certainly a big musical improvement or better say experimentation with different styles and different solutions. Songs like Staring At The Back Road and Over To Top, for example, show us that the band was not afraid to tune down a bit and step in that contemporary new rock style with a classic feel. NWOCR in other words. On the other side tunes like Shaken To The Core and Stiff Upper Lip reminds us of that the good old Dobermann high-octane, sleazy raw rock ‘n’ roll with Paul’s unique raspy vocals on top and Valerio’s crispy overdriven tone. There is also one quite of a jam in the song Dropping Like Flies too. 

The other part of the album has a couple of great tunes like Summer Devil and Rock Steady which reminds me a bit of a new Gilby Clarke album and his unique guitar riffs. In the end there is one more pure Dobermann breed song, Run For Shade, filled with a frantic guitar riffs, fantastic extended guitar solo and raspy screaming vocals. The very last one Last Man Standing is a bit different from everything else on this record. There is some piano work there and a little bit mellower tone overall accompanied with „not that raw“ vocals delivered from the group’s leader Paul Del Bello. Even if it is that contrasting, the song does not ruin the whole feeling. On the contrary – it ends it with style. Italian style! 

In the end the aforementioned bar was reached and the task was completed. The guys from Dobermann managed to create something different from the last time, mostly due to little bit of experimentation. There are some fans that might not be satisfied with it but hey, it is a positive thing and also it is a sign of maturing and gathering all that experience from touring. If you are into new wave rock with a classic feel Dobermann’s Shaken To The Core is something you cannot miss. If everything gets better Dobermann is also a band that you must not miss live. Believe me, you got to see Paul breathing fire on the stage (like I did in 2010 when he was playing with Adam Bomb) with all that raw energy that these guys are delivering. These guys are aiming really high. Italians won the Eurovision with a rock song. Only if they can win the coming EURO (which I really really hope) it would be a magnificent year for this European country! 

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You can listen to the whole album below:

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