Regular readers might have been clued in on the fact that I like pop music, so I am not opposed to artists who have a little help from producers. This seems to be the case on Des Rocs’ new album, To Hell and Back (Sumerian Records). If you find yourself like me, going into this album knowing nothing about Danny Rocco, then let’s get you caught up. He got his start playing in a band called Secret Weapons, which had enough connections in the industry to open for Fall Out Boy and Panic at the Disco. Despite writing songs for Zayn from One Direction, it’s unlikely Rocco is going to get called out for being an industry plant, since he is not pretending to be Metal. What they are going for here is big area rock in the vein of Queen, but only focusing on their more flamboyant, soccer stadium shakers than their ventures in prog and disco. Continue reading →