Blackthorne - Afterlife

Ahh Blackthorne, who could possibly remember this 'supergroup' of sorts from the very early 1990s? With Bob Kulick on guitar, Frankie Banalia on drums, Jimmy Waldo from the ashes of Alcatrazz, and 'legendary' vocalist Graham Bonnet (who has sung for Rainbow, MSG, Impelleteri, Forcefield and others) combine their skills into the one off record known as "Afterlife". Don't know who Kulick is? I'm sure alot of people don't, but he was the mystery KISS guitarist that never actually got his efforts with the band published, yet played on a Salute to Ace Frehley cd. He also lent his talents to Michael Bolton's first two decidedly dominately AOR releases, as well as Don Johnson, Stevie Nicks, and Billy Squire. How's that for a discography that serves as its own vote of confidence? This disc actually saw release on US shores via CMC but was met with very little fanfare. It is one of those discs that die hard fans of Bonnet or Kulick might have in their collection, but the casual metal listener might have passed up to snag some of that swanky early 90s grunge ridden comeback albums that have now found their proper places, buried in landfills across the country.

Musically its like stepping back right before the area of the great big poofy hair, where gang vocals were born amongst the fist pumping anthems that coursed pure heavy metal unity through the veins of all who enlisted in the armies of metal, "Afterlife" is all that plus a bag of chips. Followers of the complex and epic European metal sensations might scoff at the lyrical and musical simplicity that follows Blackthorne around like a ghost of Monsters of Metal past, but it doesn't stop with just similarities to the late and great classic metal outfits. Oh no, there's also a flash of hairspray, a fit of funk, and some moody Dio "Lock up the Wolves" meets "Strange Highways" stuff to keep the listener off balance. I admit I'm not the biggest Graham Bonnet fan, even if his singing on MSG's "Assault Attack" was a half step away from being brilliant, there is a decade between that stellar performance and the gruff, messy-at-times vocals found here. The years have not been kind to Bonnet's pipes, but Graham still has what it takes to deliver that loud vocal wailing with his distinctive rough edge that feels like every single note is ripping his throat apart. The precise control of it has taken the greatest hit from time, but when a chorus of background vocals are poured in for support, the vocals as a whole, round up as being digestable enough for any metal fan. Its not just the lyrics that are given the rough treatment, the music itself is a combination of the crazed breaking the rules feel of Twisted Sister, the metallic grit of Judas Priest, and the basic metal anthems of Alice Cooper and the partying vibes of Quiet Riot. Kulick puts on a respectable show of electricity, while Waldo, Banalia and Wright all come through sounding like a solid team.

1. Cradle to the Grave - Feedback and distinctively masculine banshee-like howls herald in the album as preperation for the bang that is about to be recieved. It comes down heavy and pours it on lavishly from here, with a nice thickly pumping bass sound and flashy guitar chops. Graham hurts this one the most with his overly raw performance that is quite painful to listen to. Those accustomed to Motorhead and other bands with too rough vocals might enjoy this piece, but personally, my attention kept wandering, which is not a good sign. The end is kind of neat, in a B horror movie flick kind of way.
2. Afterlife - A chugging tune, featuring some impressive bassy drums that grind this one into the soul with all its crunchiness intact. The merciless theme of hell vs. heaven and the sorting of who goes where after the final judgement in the afterlife, suits the music.
3. We Won't Be Forgotten - This is the fist-in-the-air, uniting of the brothers of metal, vintage 80s type of song that was hinted at earlier. Its got the kind of triumphant pounding defiance of Twisted Sister anthems combining with a powerful chorus that drives the 'metal forever' sentiments home with pomp and polish. While the supporting vocals drown out the lead during the main verses, he can still be heard blasting his lungs out underneath all the fluff. An uplifting, well executed song.
4. Breaking the Chains - The opening is highly reminiscent of Van Halen's "Hot for Teacher", just listen to that pulsating drumwork and warped guitar and its association with the VH tune is instantly recognizable. This rhythm provides the driving force that the song is set upon, which eventually morphs into something of its own but still has that VH feel ground into it. However after that beginning its hard to shake the link from the mind. A fun, fast paced song, tastes great, but is less filling than others on the disc.
5. Over and Over - Bob Kulick's brother Bruce assists on this tune, along with Steve Plunkett, best known from Autograph. This uptempo blaster gives off Craig Goldy's Ritual vibes but the addictive testosterone clad chorus saves it from being a me-too tune.
6. Hard Feelings - This is a rough kick in the ass, with those gruff vocals and searing guitar set upon a classic metal feeling backdrop of raw pounding drumwork. Whipped up with lots of punch, but something seems missing, perhaps its just that feeling that its been heard and done before and better. Bonnet does another five years worth of damage to his vocal chords on this tune's wrap up.
7. Baby You're the Blood - Wow, sugary pop flavored stuff, with lots of really huge gang vocals backing up a very AOR sounding Bonnet, doing a well controlled straightforward thing with the gurgly stuff thankfully missing. Not to scare anyone off, this one comes across very much like a Winger song, those riffs are remarkably similiar to the feel of Reb Beach's axeslinging, and that chorus would have been golden on "In the Heart of the Young". There is reason and rhyme to the insanity as it was co-written by the House of Lords member Jimmy Waldo.
8. Sex Crimes - Now they are doing the sneering "Trash" era Alice Cooper thing meets the gloom of Dio's "Strange Highways" (which ironically came after this album was released). The gel holding this one together is Kulick's guitar singing solid and true, fusing the writhing riffs to the haunting backdrop. Lyrics are suitably criminal with a gritty grim edge.. "Just a mental case with a friendly face." Spooky.
9. Love From the Ashes - Spunky bluesy material with its fair share of funky parts and some questioning lyrics "Is there still fire in the flames?". Its a taste of what was to come on our 'legendary' frontman's solo effort "Underground". Speaking of vocals, this tune's share of throat sounds remind me of one of Bonnet's Rainbow performances on "Down to Earth" back in the late 70s which "LFtA" ironically leads into...
10. All Night Long - Is it just me or is Bonnet still haunted by his stint in Ritchie Blackmore's on and off again band that feels more like his signature than the over hyped (but admittedly 'classic') Deep Purple? With every other Bonnet release, another one of those Rainbow numbers are updated, sometimes for better, but more often for worse. This one falls flat, Kulick does not possess that certain magic that radiates from The Man In Black, so the guitar chops and especially the solo seems overly generic. The sound effects and changes that were made to the original song give it an 'in concert' loose feel that hurts more than helps. Not quite dismal but could have been heaps better.

The once bountiful sea overflowing with a steady stream of metal releases had dried to a tiny trickle by 1993-94, and Blackthorne's "Afterlife" probably seemed like a premium bottle of Aquafina to a parched metalhead. There's no denying that Bonnet is the make it or break it element to the album and the main reason the listener will either love, hate or be indifferent to the release. It confidentally ranks below Graham's MSG and Rainbow efforts, but heads and tails above anything else in his lengthy catalogue, thanks to some intellegently crafted songs and an all star backing band, most notably the delicious rhythm section of Banalia and Wright, who together form a wall of thumping sound that adds so much to the overall picture of each individual song. Easily recommended listening if only for the AOR drive of "Baby You're the Blood" which is pulled off amazingly well and the thunderously catchy "We Won't Be Forgotten".

7.4
Review by Alanna Evans -
who now has an excuse to listen to Michael Bolton's "The Hunger". "Its Kulick, you know, from BLACKTHORNE?"
More Metal Reviews