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Reckless Love – Animal Attraction
Reckless Love – Animal Attraction (2011, Universal Music/Spinefarm Records UK)
1. “Animal Attraction”
2. “Speedin’”
3. “Born To Break Your Heart”
4. “Hot”
5. “Fantasy”
6. “Dirty Dreams”
7. “Dance”
8. “Fight”
9. “Switchblade Babe”
10. “On The Radio
11. “Coconuts
Band:
Olli Herman – Vocals
Pepe – Guitar
Jalle Verne – Bass
Hessu Maxx – Drums
Producer: Ilkka Wirtanen
Reckless Love came out of nowhere last year and delivered one of my favorite albums for 2010 so I was pretty enthusiastic when I heard a new album was coming in 2011. Fans of the band’s self-titled debut will not be disappointed with Animal Attraction.
Olli & the boys have given the world another great collection of slick ‘n’ polished glam & pop-metal. Whether it’s the sleazy “Animal Attraction”, the anthemic ”Hot” & “On The Radio”, the Euro-pop of “Dirty Dreams”, the hard pop groove of “Dance” (seriously, this could be a club hit in the U.S.), the hard rockin’ “Fight” or the somewhat quirky “Coconuts” (channeling Diamond Dave?) Reckless Love have proven themselves as kings of modern glam metal.
This album is just so darn catchy that I think I would rank it slightly above the debut (the album cover & new logo are certainly an improvement) but the guys really haven’t changed their style a bit. Anyone who likes the melodic hard rock/pop acts of the ’80s (Danger Danger, Def Leppard, David Lee Roth, Bon Jovi, KISS, etc.) is going to dig Animal Attraction.
These guys are a hit in their native Finland. Too bad albums such as this one go unnoticed here in America. Someone like Def Leppard or Poison or KISS needs to step up and take them out on the road next summer.
Highlights: “Animal Attraction”, “Speedin’”, “Hot”, “Fantasy”, “Dirty Dreams”, “Dance”
http://www.recklesslove.com
http://www.facebook.com/RecklessLove
House of Lords – Big Money
House of Lords – Big Money (2011, Frontiers Records)
1. “Big Money”
2. “One Man Down”
3. “First To Cry”
4. “Someday When”
5. “Searchin’”
6. “Living In A Dream World”
7. “The Next Time I Hold You”
8. “Run For Your Life”
9. “Hologram”
10. “Seven”
11. “Once Twice”
12. “Blood”
Band:
James Christian – Lead Vocals, Keyboards
Jimi Bell – Guitar
Chris McCarvill – Bass, Backing Vocals
B.J. Zampa – Drums, Percussion
Producer: James Christian
Despite having some excellent songs, I’ve always been a casual fan of House of Lords. It wasn’t until Cartesian Dreams that I became a bigger fan and was finally convinced to go back and acquire the rest of their catalog. It’s a fantastic body of work and Cartesian Dreams is probably my favorite Lords album so I was pretty excited when Big Money was announced.
On Big Money the band continues to blend AOR with hard rock (that darn near borders on metal sometimes) in a spectacular fashion. This is a utopia where the guitars are beefy, the drums are prominent and keyboards accentuate the songs. By this point, James Christian (the one constant factor in HoL all these years) has really hit upon a formula that works time and time again. Great melodies, big hooks, huge choruses, heavy rock ‘n’ roll, keyboards in a supporting role and fantastic production values. Not to mention Christian’s voice is just as good as ever as well.
The title track starts off the album right, letting you know the Lords are back and ready to rock. Really catchy song with a dash of cynicism thrown in. “One Man Down”, a song with a great catchy chorus, is told from the view of a soldier. “First to Cry” is the first song on the album to sound like it could have come from the ’80s, but I mean that in a good way. “Someday When” is a mid-tempo rocker that follows that same slick ’80s style of “First to Cry” and there are a number of more tracks that seem to shoot for that same sound. “The Next Time I Hold You” is the album’s only ballad and it’s a good one. The album wraps up with the heavy dirty rocker “Blood”.
While Big Money doesn’t quite reach the heights of Cartesian Dreams, this is a still very good addition to House of Lords’ already impressive catalog of melodic hard rock. Another prime example that House of Lords is simply one of the best melodic rock bands of all time. Another top album for 2011 and sure to please fans of the band.
Highlights: ”Big Money”, “One Man Down”, “First To Cry”, “Someday When”, “The Next Time I Hold You”, “Blood”
Mr. Big – What If…
Mr. Big – What If… [Russian Import] (2011, Frontiers Records/IROND Records)
1. “Undertow” … 4:49
2. “American Beauty” … 3:44
3. “Stranger In My Life” … 4:26
4. “Nobody Left to Blame” … 4:20
5. “Still Ain’t Enough for Me” … 3:04
6. “Once Upon a Time” … 4:03
7. “As Far as I Can See” … 3:55
8. “All the Way Up” … 5:12
9. “I Won’t Get in My Way” … 4:40
10. “Around the World” … 3:51
11. “I Get the Feeling” … 4:34
Bonus Track
12. “Unforgiven” … 4:16
Band:
Eric Martin – Vocals
Paul Gilbert – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Billy Sheehan – Bass, Backing Vocals
Pat Torpey – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Producer: Kevin Shirley
I waffled back and forth on picking this one up more than John Kerry because Mr. Big has never been of much interest to me. Sure, I own Lean Into It and despite that record having some standout tracks, I never thought it was ever good enough to where I needed to hear the rest of their catalog. The first few times I listened to “Undertow” after it was released late in 2010, I wasn’t impressed a bit and I had pretty much made up my mind I wasn’t going to get the album. But then the album was highly recommended to me by Rob Rockitt over at Hard Rock Hideout, so here we go…
After having listened to “Undertow” numerous times since getting this album (the song was on my iPod which is a high honor), I have to say I absolutely love it. Especially the break where it gets a bit funky. Other favorites are the metallic “American Beauty” and the ballad “Stranger In My Life”. “American Beauty” is apparently an old Mr. Big song that didn’t make their debut album. Reminds me a lot of Van Halen or David Lee Roth’s “Shy Boy” (which Sheehan also played on).
The album features a good mix of heavy numbers along with the slick melodic rock they are more known for. No offense to him, because even with a bit of wear he’s still a fine vocalist but I’ve always had a hard time buying Eric Martin on Mr. Big’s heavier and faster songs. I think he has a voice that is much more suited to the polished melodic rockers. Other than that, the musicianship on this album is fantastic and that really goes without saying. The interplay between Billy Sheehan & Paul Gilbert is amazing. Pat Torpey drives the songs and I have much more respect for him having watched a few of the band’s recent live clips on YouTube.
“Unforgiven” is a bonus track included for the North American/European release. I thought maybe we finally stuck it to Japan (Mr. Big’s biggest market) since they ALWAYS get bonus tracks but they ended up getting the exclusive “Kill Me With A Kiss” on their release. Anyway, it’s a decent tune that again showcases Gilbert & Sheehan.
The album has been pretty well reviewed by fans of the band and melodic rock sites so I imagine virtually anyone that’s liked what this band has done in the past will like this album. For me, I like the album but it isn’t something that will ever get much play from me. There’s just something missing from this band. Maybe it’s that they’re too good of musicians and too polished.
This is a used copy I picked up from Amazon.com… turns out it’s a Russian import and looks like it was released in collaboration with UK’s Classic Rock magazine — cool!
Highlights: “Undertow”, “American Beauty”, “Stranger In My Life”, “Nobody Left To Blame”, “I Won’t Get In My Way”
http://www.mrbigsite.com/
http://www.facebook.com/mrbigmusic
The Poodles – Performocracy
The Poodles – Performocracy (2011, Frontiers Records)
1. I Want It
2. Until Our Kingdom Falls
3. Father To A Son
4. I Believe In You
5. Cuts Like A Knife
6. As Time Is Passing
7. Love Is All
8. Your Time Is Now
9. Action!
10. Bring Back The Night
11. Vampire’s Call
12. Into The Quiet Night
Bonus Track
13. Don’t Tell Me [demo version]
Band:
Jakob Samuel – Vocals
Henrik Bergqvist – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Pontus Egberg – Bass, Backing Vocals
Christian Lundqvist – Drums, Backing Vocals
Producer: Mats Valentin
I had heard of The Poodles for a few years but had never listened to them until I watched their In the Flesh DVD that was released last year. It was equal parts documentary, interviews and live performances and all of the guys in the band came across as pretty cool and down to earth and I liked the music I heard.
If you’re not familiar with The Poodles they are a melodic hard rock band from Sweden that combine AOR, heavy metal and ’80s hard rock. I believe at times they have referred to themselves simply as “heavy metal” but I honestly think that’s just a small part of their sound. They are much more driven by a melodic rock and glam metal sound than by heavy metal, IMO (and Jakob Samuel reminds me of Vince Neil). But at the same time, while some of their sounds are delightfully cheesy they still retain a modern touch. These guys are absolute hook masters. These songs just suck you in. The whole album is heavy yet commercial and most of these songs became stuck in my head after only a few listens.
“Cuts Like A Knife” I believe was the first single and is my favorite track on the album. Despite the somewhat upbeat music, the lyrics are about holding onto ex-love that isn’t coming back, something I think most people in the world can relate to. Then there’s the touching “Love Is All”, which features Martin Luther King Jr. speaking at the beginning and has some great lyrics there as well. Another top notch song is “Action!” which has a slightly darker sound than the rest of the album.
The Poodles seem to be one of those bands whose lyrics I have latched onto and really enjoyed. Most of the songs deal with some form of love: romance, heartbreak, family, betrayal, peace, etc. but songs like “I Want It All” and “Your Time Is Now” have a positive message behind them about living your life to its fullest and not being scared to do so.
“Don’t Tell Me” is noted as a bonus track and is said to be a demo but it sounds just as polished and just as good as the rest of the album and actually turns out to be a highlight. I’m not familiar with the band’s back catalog so maybe this is a song that’s been released in some form in the past.
Fans of ’80s pop metal and melodic rock should not pass this one up. This album is a true highlight of 2011 and has strengthened my resolve to check out their previous albums.
Highlights: ”I Want It”, “Until Our Kingdom Falls”, “I Believe In You”, “Cuts Like A Knife”, “As Time Is Passing By”, “Love Is All”, “Action!”, “Into The Quiet Night”, “Don’t Tell Me”
IRON MAIDEN – The Final Frontier
Iron Maiden – The Final Frontier [Mission Edition] (2010, Universal Music Enterprises)
1. “Satellite 15…The Final Frontier” … 8:40
2. “El Dorado” … 6:48
3. “Mother of Mercy” … 5:20
4. “Coming Home” … 5:52
5. “The Alchemist” … 4:28
6. “Isle of Avalon” … 9:06
7. “Starblind” … 7:48
8. “The Talisman” … 9:03
9. “The Man Who Would Be King” … 8:28
10. “When the Wild Wind Blows” … 11:00
Band:
Bruce Dickinson – Vocals
Dave Murray – Guitar
Adrian Smith – Guitar
Janick Gers – Guitar
Steve Harris – Bass, Keyboards
Nicko McBrain – Drums
Producer: Kevin Shirley & Steve Harris
Um, yeah. This “Mission Edition”? It’s basically the album in a tin instead of a jewel case with the band’s logo and the title of the album being absent from the album art and the CD artwork is different as well. So if you haven’t decided on which version of the album to pick up, I suggest you save a few bucks and stick with the “regular” version. There are some bonus features which you can unlock by going to www.ironmaiden.com/bonus and putting the disc in your computer but I’m not a fan of stuff like that. When I buy a special edition, I want bonus tracks not access to games, photos and videos on a website (at least put all of that ON the disc!).
By the way, I guess the idea of this “Mission Edition” tin is we’re looking out of a spaceship’s window. I initially tried to scan the booklet inside the tin case but it didn’t turn out so well:
The Final Frontier is an album that seems to have many Maiden fans divided. When you’ve got such a large following and have been a successful group for 30+ years, every new release is going to be analyzed, questioned and compared to the “classic” catalog. Before this album arrived in the mail, I read many reviews (from critics and actual fans) stating this album was the sound of a tired, repetitive and boring band. I read other reviews saying it’s a top three or top five Maiden album that is full of exciting music and that the band is admirably blazing new paths and taking chances with their music. Hm.
Despite owning the majority of Maiden’s catalog, I must confess I’m not a huge fan. Sure, I like them, but they wouldn’t crack the Top 20 as far as my favorite bands go. I’ve always thought many (not all) of their songs could be repetitive and their albums tend to drag. That said, I was still anticipating this release because they are legends and I recognize their contributions to heavy metal. I’ve been following the band since the Brave New World reunion album and the digital release of “El Dorado” sounded really promising, so I wasn’t going to stop following them now.
I guess one common complaint (or praise) I’m running across with other people is the progressive nature of this album. Well, other than the earliest records, they’ve always sounded like progressive metal to me. Especially since Brave New World, so I’m not sure why this is shocking people now. Someone put it best when they said Iron Maiden is no longer a heavy metal act and they are now a progressive hard rock act. This is true but I’ve felt that was the case for years. Anyone that turns in a 10-track album that clocks in around 80 minutes has to be progressive!
Still, they can churn out some really good rockers. “Satellite 15…The Final Frontier” is a great number (after we get through that way too long intro, seriously, they should’ve cut this into two different tracks) and “El Dorado” is the album’s bright spot, it’s really catchy and the most straightforward rocker of the bunch. Both of these songs stick with you. The rest of the album is mostly made up of mid-tempo rockers that all seem to have slow building intros. Again, standard Iron Maiden, in my opinion. In the middle of all of this is “Coming Home”, a ballad I’ve grown quite fond of.
So is this a classic Iron Maiden album? I don’t know, I’ll leave that up to the hardcore fanbase to decide but I do know that it’s a really good album and I’m enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would. It will probably my my Top 10 list for 2010 after all is said and done, if that tells you anything.
Highlights: “Satellite 15…The Final Frontier”, “El Dorado”, “Coming Home”, “The Alchemist”, “Isle of Avalon”, “The Talisman”
McAULEY SCHENKER GROUP – Save Yourself
McAuley Schenker Group – Save Yourself (1989, Capitol Records)
1. “Save Yourself” … 6:16
2. “Bad Boys” … 4:05
3. “Anytime” … 5:46
4. “Get Down To Bizness” … 4:23
5. “Shadow Of The Night” … 5:22
6. “What We Need” … 4:15
7. “I Am Your Radio” … 4:49
8. “There Has To Be Another Way” … 1:40
9. “This Is My Heart” … 5:01
10. “Destiny” … 4:35
BONUS TRACK
11. “Take Me Back” … 4:51
Band:
Robin McAuley – Vocals
Michael Schenker – Guitar
Steve Mann – Guitar, Keyboards
Rocky Newton – Bass
Bodo Schopf – Drums
Producer: Frank Filipetti
I’m working back through the McAuley era of Michael Schenker’s career (I started with 1991′s M.S.G.) and Save Yourself is another solid slice of melodic hard rock. I prefer the M.S.G. album but there’s a still a few choice cuts here like the minor hit “Anytime”. It’s easily the album’s best song and is a fine example of what good things could come out of the pop metal genre in the late ’80s. I also like the other two singles this album spawned: “This Is My Heart” is another great commercial rocker and “Save Yourself” is a high energy number. ”Take Me Back” was a bonus track exclusive to the CD version of the album and it’s pretty darn good.
The trend with McAuley Schenker seems to be an effort to fit in with the glossy hard rock scene of the day, thus Michael Schenker seems content to lay low for the most part but the instrumental “There Has To Be Another Way” shows particular fire and reminds me of Schenker’s earlier works. Robin McAuley again delivers a good performance with his gravelly voice.
As I mentioned earlier, this album isn’t as good as M.S.G., there are a few songs here I consider filler like “Bad Boys” and “Get Down To Bizness”. Looking at the song titles, you would not be incorrect to assume they are fairly generic pop metal numbers.
Still, all told, this is a good album. It’s a shame this group only managed to squeak out a few minor hits, three studio albums and one live release. Robin and Michael made for a good pair.
Highlights: “Save Yourself”, “Anytime”, “Shadow Of The Night”, “There Has To Be Another Way”, “This Is My Heart”, “Take Me Back”
http://www.michaelschenkerhimself.com
http://www.myspace.com/michaelschenkerhimself
http://www.robinmcauley.com/
http://www.myspace.com/robin_mcauley
McAULEY SCHENKER GROUP – M.S.G.
McAuley Schenker Group – M.S.G. (1991, Impact Records)
1. “Eve” … 4:53
2. “Paradise” … 4:08
3. “When I’m Gone” … 4:49
4. “This Broken Heart” … 4:56
5. “We Believe In Love” … 5:16
6. “Crazy” … 4:55
7. “Invincible” … 3:45
8. “What Happens To Me” … 5:04
9. “Lonely Nights” … 4:31
10. “This Night Is Gonna Last Forever” … 4:51
11. “Never Ending Nightmare” … 6:27
Band:
Robin McAuley – Vocals
Michael Schenker – Guitar
Jeff Pilson – Bass
James Kottak – Drums
Producer: Kevin Beamish, Frank Filipetti
Not to be confused with the Michael Schenker Group and their own MSG album, this album and the McAuley Schenker Group in general was a mainstream melodic hard rock & pop-metal effort from legendary guitarist Michael Schenker and singer Robin McAuley. I’ve seen some websites treat the McAuley Schenker Group as if it were just another era of the Michael Schenker Group but I don’t feel it is fair to sweep these albums into a larger discography like that. From what I understand, the idea was that this new MSG was more of a team effort than any Michael Schenker Group release previous. really Obviously, the partnership with Robin McAuley meant enough and was different enough to Michael that he allowed his first name to be replaced by “McAuley” in the group’s name (while smartly keep the initials ‘MSG’).
The rest of the band is solid: Jeff Pilson from Dokken and James Kottak who originally played in Kingdom Come and eventually went on to join the Scorpions in 1999. I wonder if Michael recommended Kottak to his big brother Rudolf?
Though I’m not the biggest Michael Schenker fan, I’m surprised by how little I knew of this band. I remember coming across their name before but never dove too deep into it. Luckily, Stone over at Metal Odyssey did a post that got me really interested in the band. A few YouTube searches later and I was HOOKED on this album’s final song “Never Ending Nightmare”. It’s an epic ballad. Skip ahead a few months and I found a used copy of this album on Amazon.com for only $2.98! Plus shipping it was a grand total of $5.96!
It was money well spent because I am thoroughly enjoying this disc. Second only to “Never Ending Nightmare”, “Eve” is fantastic and pure pop-metal with what is the catchiest chorus of the whole album. I know this band had minor hits with “Gimme Your Love” (from 1987′s Perfect Timing) and “Anytime” (from 1989′s Save Yourself) but “Eve” should’ve been HUGE.
This album is a lost classic in my eyes and may be one of the last great albums from the glory days of pop-metal and melodic hard rock. I’ve heard bits & pieces of Perfect Timing and Save Yourself and judging from what I’ve heard, I think M.S.G. is the band’s finest moment. It’s just too bad it would be their last moment as Robin and Michael parted ways in 1993.
Highlights: “Eve”, “Paradise”, “When I’m Gone”, “This Broken Heart”, “Crazy”, “What Happens To Me”, “Never Ending Nightmare”
http://www.michaelschenkerhimself.com
http://www.myspace.com/michaelschenkerhimself
http://www.robinmcauley.com/
http://www.myspace.com/robin_mcauley
TARA’S SECRET – Vertigo
Tara’s Secret – Vertigo (2009, Blackcat Music)
1. “Rock ‘n Roll Beauty Queen” … 5:32
2. “She’s My Baby” … 4:31
3. “Natural High (Rain Of Love)” … 4:58
4. “The Last 2 Know” … 4:58
5. “Promises” … 4:53
6. “Vertigo” … 5:27
7. “One More Chance” … 3:31
8. “My Reward” … 5:00
9. “Shake What Your Mamma Gave Ya!” … 5:19
10. “Homeland” … 5:43
11. “GTBR” … 4:51
12. “Wildest Dreams” … 3:40
Band:
Johnny Trowbridge – Lead Vocals
Richard Beardsley – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Craig Chapman – Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Dave Deaville – Bass, Backing Vocals, Piano
John Thomas – Drums, Backing Vocals
Additional Musicians:
Sue Willetts – Vocals (“The Last 2 Know”)
Adrian Marx – Vocals (“Shake What Your Mamma Gave Ya!”)
Judging this band by their name and the album cover, I was expecting pure AOR keyboard-heavy cheese and just another group aspiring to emulate Journey. Luckily, this is not the case. There’s no denying this is a slick, commercial melodic rock album and it is obvious the band is influenced by the ’80s AOR scene but they have a bluesy beefy hard rock sound that most melodic rock bands don’t have. Basically all feedback I’ve read for this album mentions that Tara’s Secrets has much in common with Gotthard, Thunder and Whitesnake. As little as I’ve heard of them I still get the Gotthard and Thunder connection but I think a Whitesnake comparison is really pushing it. This band isn’t that bluesy.
Most melodic groups bog their albums down with ballads and thankfully Tara’s Secret does not fall into that trap. There are only two ballads here (“The Last 2 Know” and “One More Chance”) and that is a perfectly acceptable number in my book. I love ballads but if you’re doing more than two on an album, unless they are truly amazing, you’re going to lose me. If I wanted an album full of ballads I’d buy some old crooner records. “The Last 2 Know” is a pretty good ballad but it isn’t really a highlight for me. The best stuff is the harder rockin’ stuff like “Rock ‘n Roll Beauty Queen”, “GTBR” and “Wildest Dreams”.
Combining hard rock and AOR, Vertigo is a solid effort that won’t knock anyone’s sock off. For the most part it avoids sinking too deep into a vat of melodic cheese and had enough “oomph” to keep me interested.
Highlights: “Rock ‘n Roll Beauty Queen”, “Natural High (Rain Of Love)”, “Vertigo”, “My Reward”, “GTBR”, “Wildest Dreams”
http://www.taras-secret.com/
http://www.myspace.com/tarassecret
MASS – Sea of Black
Mass – Sea of Black (2010, Escape Music)
1. “Falling From Grace” … 4:22
2. “All The Years Gone” … 3:44
3. “The Right Side” … 4:34
4. “Coming Home” … 5:38
5. “Thru The Rain” … 4:23
6. “All That I Needed” … 4:05
7. “More Than A Friend” … 3:08
8. “Justify” … 4:59
9. “Ashes To Ashes” … 4:59
10. “Till We Meet Again” … 4:58
11. “Captain Jack” … 1:15
12. “Sea Of Black” … 5:33
Band:
Louis D’Augusta – Lead Vocals
Gene D’Itria -Guitars, Backing Vocals
Michael Palumbo – Bass, Backing Vocals
Joey “Vee” Vadala – Drums
Producer: Martin Kronlund
Mass is a band that I am somewhat familiar with if only really by name. I had never heard any of their music until Sea of Black but my perception was that they were probably a religious-themed heavy metal act born in the 1980s. My assumption was a bit off because despite having song titles like “New Birth”, “Holy One”, “Falling From Grace” and using crosses for visual effect they are not necessarily members of the Christian rock scene but a plain ol’ rock/metal band instead that prefers to use uplifting and positive lyrics. Reading up on them, I discovered they were from Massachusetts and it still didn’t hit me until reading even more info about the band that their namesake comes from their home state and has nothing at all to do with the Catholic church (they were originally called Axes though).
The band has quite an interesting sound. Judging by Sea of Black, they balance traditional heavy metal with melodic hard rock and ballads much in the way that the ever-changing Riot has done on a number of their albums. One song you get a great thunderous heavy metal number and then the next song is an acoustic based ballad. It’s a little disorienting but I guess it keeps the listener on their toes. The sub-genre jumping isn’t a bad thing at all because Mass does both heavy metal and melodic rock well and singer Louis D’Augusta has the pipes to handle either style with ease.
The album seems to be split pretty evenly amongst heavy metal and softer numbers. The ballads and more sentimental moments aren’t bad (my favorite being the up tempo “All The Years Gone”, you can’t help but feel good listening to it) but I have to admit I prefer the heavier, faster numbers because this is where Mass shines, in my opinion. “Falling From Grace” opens the album with a perfect balance of metallic melody bringing to mind late ’80s/early ’90s Riot while the album-closing “Sea Of Black” is a mean piece of traditional heavy metal. “The Right Side” and “Justify” follow along in a similar metal fashion.
I don’t know where Mass has been all my life but if their previous works are anything like Sea of Black, I’ll be more than happy to find out.
Highlights: “Falling From Grace”, “All The Years Gone”, “The Right Side”, “Coming Home”, “Thru The Rain”, “Justify”, “Sea Of Black”
http://www.massrocks.com
http://www.myspace.com/masstheband
http://www.escape-music.com
AURAS – New Generation
Auras – New Generation (2010, Frontiers Records)
1. “Beauty of Dreams” … 4:05
2. “Forgive and Forget” … 4:19
3. “Never Give Up” … 4:45
4. “In My Arms” … 5:00
5. “Reach Out” … 4:30
6. “New Generation” … 5:06
7. “Forever in Your Eyes” … 3:52
8. “Hungry Hearts” … 4:33
9. “That’s the Way Love Goes” … 5:01
10. “Keep On Loving You” … 4:00
11. “Out of Love” … 4:14
12. “Love to Survive” … 5:34
Band:
Gui Oliver – Vocals
Ferpa Lacerda – Guitars
Matheus Brandon – Guitars
Hemerson Vieira – Bass
Edu Sallum – Drums
Producer: Dennis Ward
Auras is a fairly new AOR outfit from Brazil that doesn’t set out to reinvent the wheel with New Generation, their debut album. They follow the formula set forth by previous acts like Journey, Survivor and basically any other melodic rock group that was a part of (or was inspired by) the 1980s melodic rock scene.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as “eighties” melodic rock can be a pleasure (or a guilty pleasure at least) to listen to. What really sets the band apart is their vocalist Gui Oliver. Most AOR singers generally sound good. Hey, you better sound “good” when Steve Perry is what you’re shooting for but Oliver really does stand out as one of the best that I’ve heard recently. Though there are similarities he’s not a Steve Perry-clone but he’s in that same mold where you could probably give this guy any series of notes to jump through and he could do it.
My favorite track is the uplifting “Never Give Up”, which is Journey worship but is still a great catchy and positive tune. If you’re familiar with Frontiers Records releases, you know what to expect from the label’s output and Auras’ New Generation doesn’t do much to challenge listeners or break the mold but it is a still a decent slice of melodic rock with a number of bright spots. It’s a fine debut that shows potential for this band to do even greater things in the future.
Highlights: “Never Give Up”, “Reach Out”, “Hungry Hearts”, “Keep On Loving You”
