Blue Tears - Blue Tears

Those that are looking for 'heavy' metal 1980s style? Look no further, because I think I have found the disc for you. Blue Tears self titled release fell in my lap a few months ago and was instantly overlooked by me, because it didn't appear to have any 'name' musicians which drive the underground metal industry these days. But upon further investigation, Blue Tears' music proved to be both addicting in a nagging sort of way. Their catchy pop infested choruses are just to die for, and impossible to shake out of the subconscious. Just hearing some of these songs once or twice was enough to allow the melodies to spread like a disease and replay themselves over and over again in the head like a broken record. And what sweet torture it was too! This outfit prided themselves on sugary sweet hooks, in a deliciously tempting marriage of radio friendly "Slippery When Wet" Bon Jovi meets "Adrenalize-Hysteria" era Def Leppard. Singer Gregg Fulkerson milks these influences for all their worth, sounding like a mixture of Jon Bon Jovi and Joe Elliot, with a slight raw touch of Ratt's Stephen Pearcey. You have to listen intently to pick out that last one, but its there. Vocals are the main drive for the disc, and there's plenty of it. Aside from the lead lyric belter, there's absolutely gigantic lush vocal harmonies that swallow up most everything else when they take off. These fatten up the sound considerably, much like late 80s Def Leppard. It is great to hear another band taking advantage of this style of delivering a sharp tune. Pristine guitar licks bubble throughout each song, clear and precise, with the electric showcases being the cascading solos of course. Tons of keys and synth sounds fill up everything else and with such a smooth production job, it all rings out with crystal clarity. The overall presentation is a pleasure to listen to, with so much going on in the background, it takes several close listens to pick everything out, but its not so complicated that it hinders the song.

A band is nothing without a few good tunes to present themselves with, and Blue Tears has more than just a handful. The cream of the crop is the song that happens to be the same name as the band as well as the album, "Blue Tears" by Blue Tears from Blue Tears. Confused yet? This is basically an overblown Def Leppard tune with a bit of a Winger edge. Flowing like silk with a bouncy infectious rhythm, the song dodges between slower, acoustic sections and the expansive electric chorus climaxes. The fret scorching ending sends it up in a blaze of glory. A word of warning however, "I'm drowning in your blue tears"... you *will* be hearing that line in your sleep for weeks after first listening to this song. Another killer is the ballad "True Romance", the beginning reminds me strongly of classic top 40 hit "Unchained Melody", so just think of this as the "Unchained Melody" of the 90s with a twist. This one comes across as a semi-ballad, a little too 'big' to be a true ballad, with a touch of Giant, but wonderful any way you look at it. If this doesn't inspire one to sing-along I don't know what will, in the same kind of high quality as their title track. "Crush" is a fun rocker, throwing in lots of high paced "nah nah nah nah"s (like in the beginning of Bon Jovi "Born to Be My Baby") accompanied by axeslinging frills. Think Def Lep's "Make Love Like A Man" or "I Wanna Touch U", but done a couple of years before "Adrenalize" was even released! An absolutely huge song, filled to the brim with absorbing guitar theatrics. Pure class all the way. With a splash of magic, "Halfway to Heaven" sees the band slowing down enough to weave a particularly beautiful power ballad. Those much mentioned plush gang vocal melodies inhance the mood of this one ten-fold. Its topped off by a gentle guitar solo, and synthesizer sounds in all the right places. "Innocent Kiss" feels like Bon Jovi's "Livin On A Prayer", complete with playful romping guitar and an energetic melody to match. "Thunder in the Night" kicks it up with thunder samples, upbeat wild and free feel, reminiscent of Poison's "Ride the Wind" and a sprinkle of Bon Jovi's "Born to be My Baby" (again).