For those not in the immediate know, much like myself, Ruffyunz is a partnership between Randy Pratt (Cactus/The Lizards), Emmy winning engineer JZ Barrell, and singer Ed Terry and a collection of drum and guitar masters.

With guest artists including guitar legend Pat Travers and drummer T.C. Tolliver from The Plasmatics, the songs on their debut self-titled album (out October 15th, 2019 via Hyperspace Records) are a blend of many styles of guitar-heavy music.

Furthermore, JZ Barrell handles recording, engineering, mixing and arranging and with Jesse Berlin acting as the band's go-to guitarist, well, you kinda already know what you're in for here, don't you!

Indeed, the band's concept is to use known drummers and guitarists as guests on their records so that once the guest guitarist has done his or her thing, Jesse trades solos with them!

1. 'Tonight'
2. 'Freedom'
3. 'Pressure'
4. 'On the Road'
5. 'Mist'
6. 'Frantic'
7. 'Funky Heavy & Tight'
8. 'Hard Times'
9. 'Demons'

Kicking off with the drum-led 'Tonight,' is the most perfect introduction to the band at large. It's a funky, rock 'n' roll monster, smothered in R&B and thrust out into the world as a bad mother**ker of a tune!

Some funky slap bass licks brings forth 'Freedom' with some dynamic lead guitar wizardry unleashing 'Pressure' next.

Featuring a full ensemble of Ed Terry on vocals along with Pat Travers (guitar), Jesse Berlin (guitar), Randy Pratt (bass & pedals), T.C. Tolliver (drums), Neil Cicione (drums), JZ Barrell (extra guitar), and Paul Latimer (extra funk guitar), I can honestly hear so much youthful Extreme pulsating through this entire album that had I not known it was a conglomerate of talent, I would have bet money it was an unreleased Cherone and Bettencourt album from the very early '90s!

That aside, next up is the intense prowling of 'On the Road,' which is backed brilliantly by the frenetically swelling 'Mist,' the R&B rocking hipsway of 'Frantic,' and then the harmonica-driven blues of 'Funk Heavy & Tight.'

The album then rounds out with the rock jam 'Hard Times,' and then comes to a close with the palpitating darkness found within of 'Demons.'

Ruffyunz @ Soundcloud