1. Thunder and Lightning 2. Chained 3. Lay It on the Line 4. Stay 5. Lost in Paradise 6. Smoulder 7. Time to Burn 8. I'll Be There (When It's Over) 9. Save Me Tonight 10. Without You 11. Now Until Forever 12. Get Used To It Epic (Sony) 1992

 
 

This is one for those that like their metal a bit more subdued with an 80s spin, full of slick, well rounded melodic rock with a snazzy Y&T "Contagious"-esque punch and Def Leppard overtones. Fans of the genre will be hard pressed to find a better album to fit that niche of AOR than Giant's final release. Band leader, singer, songwriter and guitarist all rolled into one, Dan Huff is truly extraordinary, however he unfortunately bailed from the world of rock star and entered that of producer, going on to produce both of Megadeth and Faith Hill and mostly tries his hand as a session player as he wields the axe on contemporary country pop sensation Shania Twain's last offerings.  "Time to Burn" is heads and tails more polished and better written than their debut release, which was a solid slice of hard rock in its own right.  Something just seems to 'gel' here, which is blazingly evident from the first handful of tracks and spotty near the end. Musically it ranges from some big overblown ballads to bouncy rhythmic tunes that are just a whole lot of fun.  The driving and catchy rockers work best in this environment, and have a bit more replay value than some of the other tunes which fall prey to clichés that were well established and overdone many years before this cd saw release.  It was unleashed during 1992, a year or so after sugar metal of this type had already seen its peak of popularity and was sliding downhill with a rapid pace.  One year later and it had fallen totally out of the public eye.  But even though this one didn't move a million copies or change the industry as we know it, there is still a wealth of gems just waiting to be discovered.  Layered vocal  melodies are lavishly heaped to add depth to the backing vocals and spice up shallow areas where needed.  The already mentioned Dan Huff, has a fine voice that is suited well to the music.  Very masculine and charismatic, he's the main force behind the popularity of the disc in the genre's inner circles.  His guitar work is equally inviting, scorching and crunching where need be, respectively.  Wild riffs and solos abound, but never overrun the music which would be a disaster.  The lyrics do seem a little silly at times but in other spots they are surprisingly well crafted, so its a mixed bag.  Even when a few lines seem to stumble along, the energetic driving riffs and pompously confident vocals glide them along with such ease that it's barely noticeable and makes up for the lyrical shortcomings.

 

1. "Thunder and Lightning" - This is a perfect example of what the disc is made of, packed tightly with sing along thrill rides like this wildly sensuous one, which serves as the explosive powered opening track. 2. "Chained" - This could very well be the best track on the album.  Reeking with melodic quality and varying tempos, "Chained" is an awesome little tune.  Starting out with laid back almost country like acoustic and some unusual sound effects, you can just hear the gears turning, in preparation of unraveling into its full melodic beauty.  A little slower and more deliberate than the first track, this one carries itself along on waves of melodic tides, and the dimming and cranking up of musical layers.  Its perhaps more sexually charged than the previous tune.  "I tell you to hold on, hold on, you'll see that in the middle of the night, you'll be screaming."  3. "Lay It On the Line" - Gang background voices booming "hey! oh! hey!" are quite reminiscent of Def Leppard.  The enthusiastic guitar solo twists around with refined intricacy before winding down for the gang vox to blast out once again.  A very solid song with cliched lyrics about the makings of a rock n roll star and the climb to the top.  4. "Stay" - Back into the same deliciously pumping vein of "Chained", exceptionally gripping chorus backed by free flying guitar riffs and nice pacing.  Little frills of acoustic guitar and deeply layered keyboard widen out the structured dimensions of the song.  5. "Lost in Paradise" - A beautiful ballad that rivals their closest brush with commercial success from their first release, "I'll See You in My Dreams".  Some experience under their belt has really shown its benefits in the gently sorrowful atmosphere enveloping the tearshed lyrics.  Huff's masculine, crisp and clear vocals are allowed to show his full emotional range.  6. "Smoulder" - This is a forgettably short instrumental with an acoustic twang.  It brings mental images of sitting around on a front porch in Hicksville, USA with a couple of lazy dogs asleep underneath.  Not exactly all that interesting.  7. "Time to Burn" - Surprisingly, the title track doubles as the worst song on the cd.  Who would have thunk it?  Certainly not I.  But here it is, in all of its typically boring glory.  Its repetitive and lacks the certain 'magic' that was present near the first of the album.  A hard rocking tune nonetheless but the melodic inter workings have been stripped away.  8. "I'll Be There (When It's Over)" - Slower grinding groove kicks off this track about waiting in the wings for the end of a relationship so the guy can step in and get the girl who he gave up at a prior time.  Well balanced guitar riffs and solos interact easily with the Y&T-ish rhythm and gigantically plush chorus that just oozes with melody.  9. "Save Me Tonight" - In the Giant tradition, the chorus is just spectacular, but what really catches the attention here is the silky smooth delivered lines that lead into the attractively building bridge which leads back into that killer chorus.  Wispy guitar plays an essential part in the overall impact of this mid paced tune, along with the ever expanding background vocals.  10. "Without You" - Pleasantly mid paced track, injected with vocals and guitars that swell with personality.  Together they paint a picture of long distance love.  Riff swarming midsection slows the song down at just the perfect spot, before picking up its melodically bouncy, and dare I say, uplifting musical course. The song comes together wonderfully, and is yet another highlight of "Time to Burn".  11. "Now Until Forever" - The delicate piano opening is a dead give away that the ivory tickling will change into a proper power ballad.  Much slower than the love lost "Lost in Paradise", but serves as its perfect counterpart.  Taking its time to spread its wings and soar, the song spins out soothingly, caressing in its lyrical yarn describing the feelings of being in love.  A chorus of vocals expands the background, 'til they almost swallow the lead, and fade out for a subdued finale.  12. "Get Used To It" - Pumping rocker that's equal part "Time to Burn" and "Lay It On The Line".  The squealing guitar and blues touched rhythm is similar to the likes of late 80s Whitesnake.

 

While "Time to Burn" may be lacking depth, it makes up for it in style and presentation, delivering a nice assortment of delightfully fun rockers and pleasingly quaint ballads, maintaining a sense of balance and order throughout.   A nice quality packed summertime release with enough of a partying vibe to save it from being just background music and a handful of truly outstanding tunes, made this pleasing AOR outing a classic in its own right.  Overall : 8.7 by Alanna Evans More Metal Reviews