Country music is not usually my thing, but I am always willing to give anything a go and when this track from Cris Mantello came up for review, I really wanted to do it.

Cris is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer with his musical roots firmly in American music and 1950’s/1960’s country music and Hard Times is his latest single, released on 28/10/2022.

Starting off with that distinctive twang of a country rock guitar, this is alternative country with a dash of good ol’ rock n roll thrown in. This track “represents an important musical shift” for Cris “from an artistic point of view” as he has taken new paths with the arrangement and production processes.

This is a really catchy track and I challenge anyone not to have a little boogie when the guitar solo hits part way through the track. The swinging guitar work and powerful drum beats along with very impressive vocals (complete with the country rock drawl) make this the impressive track that it is.

With a theme of losing one’s self esteem and self-confidence, many people can resonate with the lyrics and relate to the song, and this will make the track appeal to more than just country music lovers.

But please, don’t just take my word for it! Give the track a listen, you might just be very pleasantly surprised!

The review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum