Rated X

Bringing veteran musicians together into a hard-rocking American unit primed for large venues, Rated X drew on a rich pop-and-rock heritage when it coalesced around singer Joe Lynn Turner of Rainbow and Deep Purple fame, guitarist Karl Cochran from Ace Frehley’s circle, and the veteran ex-Blue Murder rhythm section featuring bassist Tony Franklin of the Firm and Whitesnake plus drummer Carmine Appice from Vanilla Fudge and Ozzy Osbourne. The band channeled classic-rock textures built for stadiums yet anchored by an easygoing bar-band feel, beginning with demo sessions in 2013 before delivering its self-titled debut through Frontiers Records the next year.