Press
“Lighthouse is an upbeat rocker that captures the essence of Nitro,
a big-time lover of rock and roll-blues. This track finds Nitro and the new posse in fine spirits and doing what they do best — rock. The song is excellently written and performed, and contains a very cool solo by Nitro. Nice guitar layering, along with solid bass and drum grooves bring the tune home. Good as any national doing similar styles”
JJ Terre – Music Voice
“Opener Distant Shore is a great midtempo rocker in the same kind of style as ‘Black Crowes.’
Some really cool guitar work from NITRO and a groove not far from the old classic “Hard to handle” that Black Crowes did a cover of. “Get a life” is a funky blues track a-la Blues Brothers with a horn section and everything! I can also hear some influences from Stevie Wonder in the early 70´s. “Little secrets” is a slow blues with a “crying” guitar while “Hell´s Train” is the best song on this CD! This song really kicks a##! If you like R&B check him out at http://www.michaelnitro.com if you´re only into AOR/Melodic Hardrock…don´t :-)”
— Catchy Hooks Webzine – Sweden
“By the time the last cries from those barroom honkeytonk beauties faded out,
the Nitro group left Tony MacAlpine with a show that would take some work to top.”
— Music Voice
“Nitro serves up his material with a good-natured showmanship,
displaying ample musical virtuosity but never going overboard in the flash department. In fact, what stands out the most about this album is its excellent sound. Far from being over-produced, the album achieves a perfect balance of friendly, home-spun intimacy and powerful crunch. Despite the wide range of styles offered, nothing sounds forced or artificial. Credit must be given to Nitro and his band, who know their way around a recording studio as well as they know their way around a concert stage. Unlike so many self-produced albums, “Counting the Days” never comes off as cheap or unfocused. On the whole, “Counting The Days” succeeds masterfully at fulfilling its promise to be a fun, kick-ass party record. As the ad says: less filling, never bitter.”
— Derrick Bostrom, Catchy Hooks Webzine – Sweden
“So what if it sounds like Michael Nitro spends his weekends listening to scratchy old Humble Pie and Faces records.
There’s nothing wrong with that. Along with his heavy riffs, he distills a little bit of Brother Ray and Little Stevie into his songs. The results are high-powered, unarguably derivative and wholly enjoyable. This is Nitro’s album, but there’s a sense of selflessness about the project. His ego’s not so big that he can’t let another guitarist take a solo. He’s also receptive to sweaty horn arrangements, funky retro keyboard fills and soulful female backing vocals.”
— Eric Searleman, The Rep Entertainment Guide
“Anyone not familiar with Nitro has either been in a coma or just arrived in town.”
— Rock Today!
“The guitar parts are awesome
and very diverse all through the album. Mostly they are blues based rock licks with some funky feel, but there’s some bluegrass, country feel here and there too and “Catalonia Song” is an awesome piece of acoustic guitar playing. Michael’s vocals are confident, perfect in all the heights and have that “so necessary bluesy smoke”. The lyrics are also very entertaining and diverse. “Get A Life”, “Distant Shore” and “Hell’s Train” (a Cinderella kind of rocker with grungy guitar sound) are my favorites. If you are looking for an album of diverse feelings, moods, and musical approach that does not get boring after 10 spins, this one is for you!”
— Bandi – Catchy Hooks Webzine – Sweden
“… a nice amalgamation of blues rock and funky rock.”
— More Than Music Magazine
“COUNTING THE DAYS is a pretty diverse release
from Michael Nitro. His bio says he plays out quite a bit and is popular in Phoenix, but it also says he spent a lot of time as a session guy and this definitely shows. You got your funk (“Get A Life”), grunge-lite (“Psychotic Plans”), acoustic ballad (“Catalina Song”), etc. In general, though, he seems to be most interested in straightforward hard rock laced with acoustic guitar and funk ‘n’ blues; there’s definitely some Extreme in “I’m Ready,” and “Distant Shore,” “Little Secrets,” and “Hell’s Train” are fairly well drenched in the blues. The pop sensibilities are on display too: “Jennifer” and “Rain” are acoustic-based, organic rockers that conjure up memories of Rod Stewart or Jim Croce, and the just-plain-goofy title track is a nod to the Beatles, but it’s so catchy and silly it should be on “Sesame Street.” It’s hard to pin down Nitro’s voice, but if I had to compare I’d say he most resembles Ted Poley. CTD is a pleasant diversion.”
— Tim – Detritus