California hard rockers 6 Speed Supernova dropped “Starfire” on March 16th, their first new material since Galactic Boogaloo in 2022. That album earned them a Best of the Year nod from Classic Rock Magazine and an opening slot for Steve Adler of Guns N’ Roses, which is a solid launchpad. The pandemic hit them mid-swing and put everything on pause, but they used the downtime well – the band describes “Starfire” as the opening statement of a new chapter, a song about facing fears and standing up for yourself before doubt sets in. Two more singles will follow later this year: “Lonely Godzilla” in May and “Begin Again” in June, each piece of a deliberate arc they’ve been building toward.
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The four-piece, featuring Marie Gutierrez on vocals, David Ballon on guitar, Joan Torres on bass, and José Linares on drums (collaborating remotely from Puerto Rico), has great chemistry here, playing to each other’s sonic strengths, and the production is also aware of this. The mix gives everyone room to breathe without anything getting buried. The track has a real spacey quality to it – there’s weight in the riffs but also this expansive, almost atmospheric pull that keeps it from feeling like straight-up hard rock. Gutierrez is the centerpiece, though, and her high notes on “Starfire” are where the song really opens up. The production leans into that, letting those moments hit with the kind of clarity that makes them land.
With two more singles already scheduled, 6 Speed Supernova is clearly playing a longer game here. If the arc holds the same quality as “Starfire,” this comeback run is worth following through to the end.
