Gustavo Laureano "Kingcallero Del Amor"

The mostly Puerto Rican rock group La Secta Allstar (think Bon Jovi) has been flying just under the radar for the last decade, most recently earning a Latin Grammy nomination and a Latin Billboard award.

This spring, La Secta's lead singer and guitarist, Gustavo Laureano, whose approach to rock vocals sometimes recalls the grating sex-appeal of Steve Tyler, has released his first solo album, Kingcallero del Amor. With a nod to the power of reggaetón, Laureano calls on the likes of Eddie D, Juelz Santana and Gocho to "spice up" tracks like the seductive "Suavecito," the bubbly "Es Así" or the cool "Kingcallero". Most of the album, though, is perfectly "adulto contemporaneo."

"Amantes del Amor," for example, mixes a string section, rock instrumentation and a delicately syncopated rock beat to deliver a ballad powerful enough to drive a hip, prime time telenovela – if one existed – while "Nadie Te Va a Salvar" mines the rich, dark soil of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus". Fans of Peter Gabriel will particularly enjoy the English-language "Star Shine" with its densely layered forward momentum.