Considering all the amazing rock bands out there from Sweden, UK, Finland and Italy, I wasn't quite expecting one of the better rock albums this year to come from Spain. But "Eldorado" ran me over like a pack of wild horses. They have an amazing swagger to them that really bleeds rock n' roll. Lead singer Jesus Trujillo simply has "it"... that variable that you can't explain, it's just there. The voice, the look, the total package. Guitarist Nano is also very important to the band, he has amazing solos, heavy when he needs to be, but he can also do the softer clean sounding material too. And the rhythm section of Cesar Sanchez on bass and Jav Planelles on drums is amazingly solid. Granted it doesn't hurt to be working with producer Richard Chycki (Aersmith, Mick Jagger and Rush). He really bring out the best of the band.

So what do these guys sound like? I've said they're great rock, what does that mean? Well, it does lean towards the modern side, but that shouldn't be considered a bad word in this case. They are classic rock based, they have some heavy jams that might remind one a little bit of Thin Lizzy at times (just a little), and sometimes a bit like Soundgarden. They have elements of many different bands, but what sets them apart is that you can't say they sound exactly like this band or that. They have an amazing "groove" to the music, and actually have a few mid-tempo songs and even a nice ballad called "The Worst Of Myself". Unlike many American bands they understand how to write a decent hook. This isn't an album with one good song and some filler, each song has it's own place and personality. I admit the first release "The House OF The 7 Smokestacks" is the most radio-ready, but there's a lot of other amazing songs here.

If you're a fan of Jet, Shinedown, Buck Cherry, The Wildhearts, Danko Jones, Velvet Revolver or just good rock, you need to hear Eldorado. Amazing quality, great song-writing, just a great band all-around.