RHETT FORRESTER – The Canadian Years [Previously Unreleased] (2024)

When the late, great metal / hard rock vocalist RHETT FORRESTER left RIOT after their well received 1983 »Born In America« album, it did not take too long for him to start work on solo career. Rhett recorded 2 solo albums during the ’80s, and while he didn’t released a third, the singer did not stop recording new music collaborating with various musicians in different bands and projects over a period of six years until his untimely death in 1994, when he was shot and killed in Atlanta, Georgia, at the age of 37.
Compiled by High Roller Records under the title “The Canadian Years“, this CD includes some awesome recordings professionally done by RHETT FORRESTER as frontman of Canadian melodic hard rock band Dr. DIRTY, plus a couple of tracks with the outfit THE BLACK SYMPHONY.
This is classic Melodic Hard Rock, polished, with hooks. The sound quality is excellent, multi-track studio professional recordings, first class production.

Dr. Dirty (the group was initially called Mr. Dirty but the name was changed to Dr. Dirty because of the use of two D’s for a logo) was the brainchild of guitarist Rob Robins. He explains: “Scot Gaines on bass and myself had been writing for almost a year when we ran into Rhett Forrester in Calgary. He had just finished his time with Rick Plester’s Black Symphony. We were looking for a singer to do some gigs with.
Rhett’s name was brought up and we had a meeting with him, and it seemed like a great fit! We immediately played him the songs we had been working on. Rhett was always great in the studio getting his parts down. Totally pro. No matter what we would throw at him, Rhett always delivered a great performance.”

The actual sessions for Dr. Dirty took place from 1992 through to early 1993. Rob Robins: “We did four songs in Calgary: ‘Red Bone Rock’, ‘Smoking Gun’, ‘In And Out’ and ‘Coming Home’. In LA we did ‘Rescue Me’, ‘Hold On’, ‘Love Song’ and ‘Too Little Too Late’. Originally we had some interest from a label just when the project split up.”

Probably one of Rhett Forrester’s most unusual contributions had come in 1992 (just before the Dr. Dirty sessions) in the form of The Black Symphony (consisting of the three songs “In The Beginning”, “Redemption” and “End Of Time”).
Black Symphony was the baby of Canadian guitarist Rick Plester, who explains: “I wrote all the material for The Black Symphony’s five record history pretty much. I placed ads in magazines all over North America for a lead singer and Rhett Forester answered. When he phoned me out of the blue, I was pleasantly surprised because I had been a fan of Riot before.
A few weeks later we flew Rhett up to Calgary in Canada where I was living at the time. Days after his arrival we recorded three songs at a studio in Calgary. Rhett was very entertaining, he was fun to be around. I enjoyed his friendship. He was very driven and brought lots to the table”.

These songs really deserved to be taken out of the shelves and finally see the light of day. Just like “Sessions”, which is released at the same time  “The Canadian Years” showcases the remarkable voice of Rhett Forrester and strong songs.
HIGHLY Recommended

 

01 – Coming Home
02 – Redbone Rock
03 – Love Song
04 – Rescue Me
05 – Too Little Too Late
06 – Smokin’ Gun
07 – Hold On
08 – In And Out
09 – In The Beginning
10 – Redemption
11 – End Of Time

Tracks 1-8: Dr. Dirty Sessions
Tracks 9-11: Black Symphony Sessions