Marty And The Bad Punch – Marty And The Bad Punch

Marty And The Bad Punch
Marty And The Bad Punch
Label: Enghardt Media / Bad Punch Records / Edel
Out: March 14^th, 2025
Playing time: 56:44

Marty Punch is a Munich-based guitarist and songwriter. He released his two albums ‘Moon Over Baskerville’ (2014) and ‘Walk A Straight Line’ (2020) on his own. And they were well received in the Rock scene. His debut album won the prestigious ‘German Rock & Pop Award’ in four categories in 2015. He was able to recruit various internationally renowned musicians for the follow-up, such as Bruce Kulick (Kiss, Grand Funk Railroad) and Frank Pané (Bonfire). His project has since been given the name ‘Marty And The Bad Punch’. He also uses this for the title of his third studio album. Now the band also has a permanent line-up.

The new third album feels like a complete fresh start – with a new killer lineup, a higher-quality production and new fantastic songs that feature more rock and guitars. It feels to me like a debut album, and I truly believe it has turned out to be a real hit record!

These are the words of guitarist Marty Punch. And they naturally arouse curiosity.

Even ‘The Time Is Now’ is a song that simply puts you in a good mood. Rocky, but very catchy. And powerfully produced. Dan Byrne’s voice goes very well with the Classic Rock sound. Naturally, both guitarists show off their skills in a strong guitar solo. The rhythmic ‘Keep Pushin’ On’ is even catchier. Marty and his bandmates celebrate the finest Melodic Rock. This is also the case with the somewhat calmer ‘Dream In The Dark’. ‘Have Faith’ is a beguiling Rock ballad. With a beautiful guitar melody. And support from the Stockholm Strings. It’s great to hear real strings and not computer-generated ones. ‘Heart Attack’ starts quietly with keyboards and guitars. Later we move back into the mid-tempo range. And as with all the other songs, you can quickly sing along to the refrain. In ‘Deadwood’, the playing of a pan flute sets unique accents. But of course, this is not overemphasised. After all, we are listening to a Rock album. And that would be worth nothing without riffing guitars and accentuated drumming. Pronounced guitar solos are also a must. ‘In Deep Water’ is very different from the previous songs. A powerful blues edge is added here. ‘Don’t Bother Me’ starts with a motorbike and police sirens. This straightforward rocker picks up the pace again. ‘The Little Things’ starts ballad-like. But no, it’s not the next ballad, but a catchy rocker. You can hear keyboards in the background. Fortunately, they don’t push themselves into the foreground, but leave it to the guitars, bass and drums to create a true Rock feeling. Once again, an outstanding guitar solo is celebrated. This is probably the end of the regular part of the album. Finally, there are two bonus tracks. ‘Streets Of Belfast’ has a slightly folky flavour at times, but mostly rocks along lively. With the ballad ‘Better Be Strong’, a song from the album debut ‘Moon Over Baskerville’ was re-recorded. The US-American singer Robert Tepper can be heard here.

On ‘Marty And The Bad Punch’, the namesake presents a colourful bouquet of timelessly beautiful Melodic Rock songs. Every single song has hit potential. This album should really be in heavy rotation on Rock radio stations.

Marty And The Bad Punch feat. Robert Tepper – Better Be Strong: https://youtu.be/DpMqYbCLZZI?si=ZWYrIuBtfUKR5GyO

Lineup:

Marty Punch – Guitar
Dan Byrne – Vocals
Tommy Denander – Guitar, Keyboards
Tony Franklin – Bass
Josh Devine – Drums:

Special Guests:

Stockholm Strings feat. Anna Dagar, Jonna Inge und Hanna Eckström
Carlos Carty – Pan flute

Track list:

• The Time Is Now
• Keep Pushin´ On
• Dream In The Dark
• Have Faith
• Heart Attack
• Deadwood
• In Deep Water
• Don’t Bother Me
• The Little Things
• Streets Of Belfast (bonus track)
• Better Be Strong (bonus track/feat. Robert Tepper)