JOEL HOEKSTRA’S 13- From The Fade (Album Review)

This is the opposite of fading away.

Experience is arguably the most valuable tool in any artist’s arsenal, and in the specific case of veteran and virtuoso guitarist Joel Hoekstra, it’s one that has allowed him to forge one of the most consequential supergroups in recent memory.

Having cut his teeth playing with such elite artists as Cher, Evanescence frontwoman Amy Lee, Sebastian Bach, and Kevin Cronin, let alone the honor of cutting heads with the legendary Brad Gillis in Night Ranger and handling guitar duties with hard rock legendary outfit Whitesnake, words like prestige and gravitas fall just short of describing what Iowa-born shredder brings to the table. Yet when all the cards are down, Joel Hoekstra’s 13 is a sum built out of multiple equally yoked parts, and their fourth and latest studio offering, From The Fade, presents a master class in how to craft an immersive musical journey while largely relying upon a familiar hard rock template.

True to the reputation that Frontiers Records has built for delivering a quality listening experience, this is an album that features a colossal modern production to rival any mainstream act, but where Joel Hoekstra’s 13 really sells what it has to offer is in the execution of its principle membership. Naturally, Joel’s surgical riff assault recalls such noted guitar legends as Ritchie Blackmore, Uli Jon Roth, and especially the dearly departed John Sykes, a fact that is further augmented by the smooth fretless bass foil provided by none other than the latter’s bandmate in Blue Murder, Tony Franklin.

Throw into the mix the signature kit work of former Black Sabbath and Dio drummer Vinnie Appice, and the free-flowing keyboard gymnastics of ex-Dream Theater titan Derek Sherinian, and the auditory feast that is realized is already nothing short of gourmet. Reprising his role as lead vocalist from 2023’s Crash Of Life is helmsman of the up and coming Indian hard rock act Girish And The Crhonicles Girish Pradhan, whom lands that same brilliantly gravely tone that Russell Allen and Jeff Scott Soto brought to his outfit’s earlier works and infuses an equally formidable rawness into the equation with the latter sticking around to provide backing vocals.

This opus functions as a sonic portfolio in ten masterful subsections, each one channeling a sense of nostalgia for a pivotal moment in one or more of these musicians’ monumental pasts while maintaining a sense of modern freshness. The swift riffing and upbeat groove of the opening foray “You Can Give” has all the makings of an arena favorite, playing off earworm melodic hooks at every point Girish’s voice is in play, while Hoekstra relentlessly lights up the fret board at every opportune moment.

The more driving cruiser “The Fall” strikes a grittier tone and functions as a sort of punchy portmanteau of Whitesnake’s signature bluesy swagger and Dio’s more jagged metallic approach, Pradham nailing a pinpoint middle ground between the two frontmen of said legendary folds before Hoekstra and Sherinian proceed to light up the airwaves with their respective technical chops.

As things progress, so too does this group’s compositional palette, occasionally allowing for a softer and more accessible tone to be struck. One can’t help but hum along and be uplifted by the easier-going groove and almost 70s AOR tone struck by “Lifeline”, and even Girish’s gravely snarl takes on a generally more measured tone that recalls the saccharine-like approach of Steve Perry and Kevin Cronin.

“You Will Remember Me” all but crosses into soft rock territory with a serene blend of accompanying acoustic guitars and a highly expressive bass display out of Franklin to further enrich an already dense atmosphere of musical optimism resting between classic 70s and modern rock balladry. The album’s closer, “Quite The Ride,” turns up the progressive rock vibes something fierce, playing heavily to Hoekstra’s expansive tool set and featuring plenty of raging rock organ and synthesizer moments out of Sherinian above a nuanced wall of sound reminiscent of classic Styx and Yes.

But when the rubber hits the road, Joel Hoekstra’s 13 is a band that is truly at its best when they throw caution to the wind and play hard enough to effectively blur the lines between rock and metal. The highly agitated riff machine “Misunderstood” sees Hoekstra trading in his Whitesnake card for an approach that all but fully mimics Vivian Campbell circa 1984, and Vinnie Appice follows suit with a similarly explosive performance on the kit, the song’s high point occurring just after the guitar solo where every member of the fold takes turns showcasing their prowess at the fore.

“Free To Be” leans more into the epic side of the 80s Dio equation with a mid-paced stride that treads dangerously close to Holy Diver territory, all the while Pradhan manages to maintain a catchy melodic gloss on top of a musical foundation replete with twists and turns courtesy of Hoekstra and Appice. But the coup de grace that sees this fold committing fully to the heavy metal side of the coin is the riveting mini-epic ride “The End Of Me”, which might well be the most compelling homage to Black Sabbath’s “Heaven And Hell” penned since Axel Rudi Pell’s “Disciples Of Hell” back in 2004.

For hard rock aficionados, young and old, as well as old school metal heads who believe that the genre peaked in the mid-80s, it’s impossible to go wrong with a fold of seasoned veterans, most of whom were there when big hair and bigger riffs were still filling arenas from Philly to Los Angeles. By the same token, the youthful exuberance displayed by Girish Pradhan makes this a band that can match energy with the past bands from which the rest of this group was drawn.

It’s debatable whether From The Fade is an album that matches the insane quality level that went with genre staples like Whitesnake’s Saints And Sinners, Dio’s The Last In Line, or Blue Murder’s 1989 eponymous debut, but a single listen will reveal an album that is definitely after the same spirit.

Release Date: February 27th, 2026
Record Label: Frontiers Music SRL
Genre: Melodic Hard Rock

Musicians:

• Girish Pradhan / Vocals
• Joel Hoekstra / Guitars
• Tony Franklin / Bass
• Vinnie Appice / Drums
• Derek Sherinian / Keyboards
• Jeff Scott Soto / Backing vocals

From The Fade Tracklist:

1. You Can Give
2. The Fall
3. Lifeline
4. Will You Remember Me
5. Misunderstood
6. Start to Fight
7. All I’d Do
8. Free To Be
9. The End Of Me
10. Quite The Ride

Order the album here.