Since bursting onto the scene in 2010, American mash-up legends Rock Sugar have been blowing our minds with their unique take on the idea of covers. Their skills for masterfully blending tracks to create pieces that manage to sound both completely new while feeling like a glorious tribute to the original songs, are second to none. Not to mention the staggering musical talent these guys have. Throw in their down to earth natures and wicked senses of humour and you have one of the most lovable bands of our time.

Their 2010 first album, “Reimaginator” gave us a beautiful taste of their sound and showed us what they were capable of. Their hilarious fictional backstory on how they came to discover their sound has only made their music even more enjoyable. A metal band stranded on a desert island in 1989 with a CD player, plenty of batteries, and the CD collection of a 13-year-old-girl. 

Blending Metallica with Journey, Ozzy Osbourne with Rick Springfield, KISS with Paula Abdul, and AC/DC with Madonna are just some of the fabulous examples from their first album that truly needs to be heard to be believed. But here is where it gets even more incredible. Rock Sugar do not use any sampling in their work, with all music and vocals being done entirely by them. 

Lead singer Jess Harnell seems blessed with the uncanny ability to mimic the vocal stylings of almost anyone. His range, control, and power are beyond impressive. Most famous for his voice over work, you can hear him in the cartoon series “Animaniacs” (as Wakko Warner), and 2005’s game Crash Bandicoot (as the title character himself), as well as having been the announcer for America’s Funniest Home Videos for more than ten years. Ironically, it was Harnell’s gifted vocals that landed the band in trouble.

A vocalist from a band they had covered in one of their tracks took legal action when he believed Rock Sugar had sampled his voice without permission. The vocalist and band in question cannot be named due to legal reasons. The outcome of this unfortunate error was that Rock Sugar were forced to remove their videos from their YouTube channel and were not permitted to sell “Reimaginator” any longer. It seemed that any hopes for a second album were dashed.

But Rock Sugar are not only immensely talented. Turns out, they are also resourceful. And thanks to a very successful Kickstarter campaign they have been able to fully fund their second album “Reinventinator.” Fans pledged over $75,000 in less than two months to help make the project a reality. These generous backers will be among the privileged few to get their hands on the new album. Unfortunately, legal reasons mean the entire album will not be available on any streaming platforms, but you can check out teasers and snippets on the band’s social media. 

Author: Harley Houghton

Harley Houghton is a writer and blogger, based in Melbourne, Australia. Her passions include music, especially metal, gaming and comics. Check out her blog www.harleysmadhouse.com and follow her on Twitter.