Boston, Massachusetts, sends a glorious reminder that the spirit of 1970s rock is still alive, loud, and unpredictable. Meet Mad Painter, a band with a Hammond organ at its heart, fire in its guitars, and a genuine love for melodic, theatrical, and heavy music. Led by songwriter and musical visionary Alex Gitlin, the group features drummer Al Hendry, bassist Kenne Highland, guitarist Al Naha, and backing vocalists Sharon Crumrine and Julie Gee. Together, they carry the freedom of psychedelic rock, the swagger of glam, and the mighty sound of classic British hard rock into the present.
With “Island Poetry,” their third studio album, Mad Painter deserves a wholehearted reception. This is not just a trip down memory lane; it is a celebration of the spirit that made classic rock exciting. Released through Italian independent label Epictronic, the album confidently moves between hard rock, progressive adventures, space disco, emotional balladry, and heavy metal. Each song opens a different door, yet the band’s personality holds everything together.
“Debt Collector” opens the album with bluesy swagger and a wonderfully mischievous streak. Its lyrics poke fun at an arrogant man who treats romance like a transaction, giving the song a comic edge beneath its muscular rock sound. Gitlin delivers the lines with attitude, while the Hammond and guitar trade blows and the backing vocals add a playful theatrical touch. It is a lively introduction to the band’s character.
Driven by an irresistible boogie-rock rhythm, “Empty Bottles” looks at loneliness, hopelessness, and the emotional weight of isolation. Yet it refuses to surrender to despair. Beneath the catchy melody, it reminds us that difficult times can be survived and brighter days remain possible. The steady rhythm section and uplifting keyboard work give the song warmth, movement, and a welcome sense of hope.
Here, Mad Painter turns up the riff-driven energy and embraces the straightforward thrill of hard rock. Inspired by AC/DC’s muscular approach, “Spin Your Ventilator” transforms an unusual lyrical idea into an infectious, head-nodding rocker. The guitars bite, the rhythm section stays punchy, and the Hammond adds extra grit. Its playful absurdity is part of the attraction: not every rock song needs to take itself seriously.
With “Suit of Worries,” anxiety takes center stage in this heavier, more dramatic number. The central image suggests a person so consumed by worry that it becomes part of their identity, an invisible outfit they cannot take off. Gitlin’s delivery suits the uneasy mood, while the Hammond and guitar build a tense, forceful musical argument. The result is classic hard rock with a distinctly human concern at its heart.
The fifth song, “Last Night You Dreamed I Was in Love with Someone Else,” is a romantic insecurity that receives the full rainbow treatment: grand melodies, heightened emotion, and a theatrical atmosphere. The title suggests jealousy, suspicion, and the strange power dreams can have over a relationship. Mad Painter gives the song room to unfold rather than rushing to finish, allowing the instrumental drama to complement its emotional uncertainty.
One of the album’s most adventurous moments, “Nektarized” takes an unexpected turn into space disco and progressive rock. Its lyrics weave together references to songs and albums by Nektar, creating a playful stream of musical imagination rather than a conventional narrative. The shifting textures and opportunities for instrumental exploration demonstrate the band’s willingness to stretch beyond familiar hard-rock territory. It is quirky, colourful, and refreshingly unpredictable.
“Shadow of the Words” is the theatrical side of Mad Painter that shows in a composition that recalls Queen’s grand arrangements and layered harmonies. Its imagery suggests catastrophe and uncertainty, but the emotional message offers a way forward through love, openness, and hope. The backing vocals add scale and drama, while the shifting instrumental layers make the song feel larger than life. It is an ambitious blend of darkness and light.
Built around a poem by Joseph Brodsky, translated into English by Natalia Belenkaya, “Two Horsemen” brings a literary depth to the album. Its roaming arrangement draws on Wishbone Ash-style twin-guitar interplay, British blues, and progressive rock. The musicians are given room to explore, with the instruments conversing rather than merely following a fixed pattern. The result is thoughtful, expansive, and among the album’s most musically open-ended passages.
Mad Painter sound most unmistakably like themselves in “Tommy Lost It All.” This melancholy ballad replaces heavy riffs with atmosphere, touching piano, expressive Hammond organ, and layered guitar work. Its title suggests loss and regret, and the arrangement carries a wistful sadness without becoming hopeless. The vocal delivery benefits from this more reflective setting, revealing a gentler side of a band equally comfortable with thunder and tenderness.
Existential questions take over in “I Am the King,” a song that balances grandeur with introspection. Influences from the Moody Blues and Barclay James Harvest colour its stately, melodic character, while the lyrics explore the paradox of being eternal yet insignificant. Piano, keyboards, guitars, and vocal layers give the track a thoughtful, almost spiritual atmosphere. It reminds us that Mad Painter’s ambitions extend well beyond the power of a good riff.
After the reflective mood of the previous track, “Stand Your Ground” arrives like a door kicked open. Motörhead-inspired aggression takes the lead, delivering speed, defiance, and a wonderfully unruly heavy-metal attack. The performance is direct and forceful, with little room for unnecessary decoration. Beneath the anger sits a playful awareness of rock’s larger-than-life attitude, making this one of the album’s most exhilarating changes of pace.
With “Circle of Hands,” Mad Painter close with their interpretation of Uriah Heep’s classic, a fitting tribute to one of the band’s deepest musical inspirations. Hammond-driven power, layered vocals, and a spiritual sense of grandeur give it weight. Rather than attempting to reinvent the original, the group approaches it with respect and conviction. The result brings the album full circle, connecting its many musical adventures to the tradition that helped shape them.
The vocal approach is central to the album’s appeal. Mad Painter works within a tradition where singing must do more than carry a melody: it must communicate character, attitude, and drama. The backing vocals of Sharon Crumrine and Julie Gee add another layer to the band’s musical identity, expanding the possibilities for fuller harmonies and a richer ensemble sound.
Instrumentally, Island Poetry celebrates the classic combination of Hammond organ, electric guitar, piano, bass and drums. The Hammond provides a vital connection to the golden age of hard rock, while the guitars bring bite, colour and melodic movement. Bass and drums supply the foundation, allowing the arrangements to move between heavy riffs, boogie grooves and more expansive passages. The piano and layered vocals add further texture to the overall palette. The production favours warmth and a full-band feel over excessive polish. That approach suits the material: the music is meant to sound played, not assembled from lifeless pieces. The album’s range of influences could easily have become a collection of disconnected imitations, but its shared instrumental language helps hold the twelve tracks together.
Six songs feature lyrics by writer and music journalist Dmitry M. Epstein, whose contribution brings wit, character and dramatic imagery to the record. The variety of song titles alone suggests a collection interested in human weakness, personal conflict, romantic uncertainty, defiance and the absurdities of everyday life.
“Island Poetry” is a lively, affectionate, and adventurous homage to an era when rock could be heavy, playful, theatrical, and deeply melodic all at once. Mad Painter draws inspiration from their heroes without reducing the album to a checklist of influences, and their range gives the album its character. If you are a listener and you miss the grand gestures, roaring organs, twin-guitar melodies, and unapologetic spirit of classic rock, Mad Painter deserves a wholehearted welcome. With this record, they remind us that the golden age is not just a memory; it can still make plenty of glorious noise. “Island Poetry” is an invitation worth accepting. Let’s turn it up, let the organ roll, and give Mad Painter the cheerful welcome their musical spirit deserves.
Listen to the “Island Poetry” album on Spotify
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