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Recent
Reviews Older Reviews |
Following the tradition of other Spanish and Spanish-language
AOR acts, Elyte presents a collection of tunes that transcends the
language barrier and speaks in the truly universal language of melodic
rock. Taking the cues from artists like Coda, Rafa Martin and the
untouchable Sangre Azul and blending it with their own style, Elyte
accomplishes what few bands, let alone Spanish bands, ever finalize: a
debut album with a loud buzz behind it. And trust me, the buzz is
warranted. Songs like “Ya Lo Ves” and “Miralo” are as melodic as
melodic rock gets, without being clichéd. They elicit the type of rock
and roll majesty that we all miss from the late 80’s scene. Yet, they
manage to keep their sound current and accessible. ----Released in 2000 by Vinny Records | Tracklist: Todo Mi Tiempo, Ya Lo Ves, No Te Puedo Dejar Atras, Muerte, Ya No Queda Nada, Solo En La CIudad, Traicion, Juegos Ocultos, Miralo, Corazon de Cristal, Dentro De Mi, Mas Fuerte
Hopes were high for Savannah’s second album. After
delivering one of the freshest debuts the melodic rock community had heard
in years, many were counting on this Boston band to carry the torch of US
rock. Expectations rose even higher when it was announced that ex-Stryper
main man Michael Sweet was producing, and doing background vocals for, the
new album. So how does it measure up? I’m afraid the results are not
all that impressive. There isn’t a single song with the power and
immediacy of, say, “Two Young Hearts.” Still, I must admit that the
album is kind of growing on me a bit. It takes more than a few listens for
one to absorb the whole spectrum of this album. The guitar sound is very modern – not the playing, mind
you, but the actual tone. This gives the songs a darker, muddier sound
than the crispness that defined the debut album. On the other hand, the
background vocals are as Stryper-esque as you’ll find. Just having
Sweet’s glorious voice in the chorus brings these to a new level of
melody. Some songs are pretty good, I must say. “All or Nothing”
and “Back’s Against the Wall” rock with incessant energy and seem to
leap off the speakers, while the quieter moments of “Forever’s Come
and Gone” and “The Question” blend music and vocal harmonies
seamlessly. Still, the sum of the parts doesn’t quite add up to a whole.
The album lacks direction, and, like I mentioned above, a powerhouse
single to drive it to the top ten list for the year. ----Released in 2000 by Z Records | Tracklist: One More for the Road, All or Nothing, Last to Know, Live to See Tomorrow, Forever's COme and Gne, Backs Against the Wall, Day After Day and Night, Make Time, Fight Your Way Out of Love, The Questions
Sister Mary has been found! If you remember Queensryche’s
Operation:Mindcrime at all, you should remember the angelic voice of
Sister Mary. Well, Sister Mary, I mean, vocalist Pamela Moore has finally
resurfaced into the rock world with a band and album that are prone to
cause quite a stir. This is a fine slice of hard-edged AOR, if only a bit
generic and lacking in originality. Kivel Records keep amazing me in the
quality of their releases – in terms of artwork, packaging and
production, the label is raising the bar amongst these small,
genre-specific labels. It’s a bit hard to point out which tracks are highlights
since the album is so well balanced few tracks really stand out.
Nevertheless, “Yours Tonight” is a powerful rocker with an entrancing
keyboard line that’ll have your feet stomping while “Mirror Mirror”
will pull at your heartstrings. As if that wasn’t enough, they throw in
a huge arena rockers in the shape of “Celebration” and the
radio-friendly, anthemic “Something’s Goin’ On.” At times, Pamela sounds so much like Deanna Davis your brain
might try to tell you you’re listening to a lost Witness album. Pamela
Moore will once again treat your ears to a classy, soulful performance.
The writing is top notch, as is the production. Really, this shouldn’t
disappoint most AOR fans. ----Released in 2000 by Kivel Records | Tracklist: Power of Money, Yours Tonight, Mirror Mirror, Lookin’ for Love, Shotdown, Celebration In Your Eyes, Rockin,’ Something’s Goin’ On, Win Your Heart
Like a fine wine, Ten keep getting better with age. After the
slightly off-course Spellbound, the band has delivered what is, in
my opinion, their sharpest, most coherent album yet. The melodies flow
smoothly and uninterrupted, forcing the listener to play the whole album
instead of having to skip between tracks. The addition of keyboard God Don
Airey adds a certain progressive element to the band’s sound: in fact, Babylon
could easily be classified as progressive AOR. “The Stranger” opens the album in full force, with spacey
keyboards, hard hitting rhythm section and the fancy guitar work that
always permeates Vinny Burns’ exquisite playing. “Barricade” is a
bit moodier, but still very accessible, with signature Gary Hughes hooks. The pace slows down for “Give in this Time,” which
reminds me a bit of mid 80’s Starship, but the Ten sound is too
distinct for the sing to sound like a mere copy. “Love Became the Law” is your typical Ten song, except
that it sort of veers towards a darker mood than usual. This by no means
should imply that the song is anything but melodic. This song is followed
by the mid-tempo rocker “The Heat.” Now, “Silent Rain” showcases, yet again, Hughes’s
talents for composing a ballad that will captivate you with its sheer
sincerity and melodic genius. This man can quite simply do no wrong.
“Timeless” has got to be one of Ten’s heaviest songs. Groove-laden
and moody, it mixes pounding guitar riffs and vocals in ultra-melodic
form. Airey’s keyboard gymnastics add an eerie touch to this gem of a
song. The highlight of Babylon has got to be “Black
Hearted Woman,” a song that should be used as a template of perfect
melodic rock. From the melody line, to the ear-shattering crunch of
Burns’s rhythm guitar, to the sing-along chorus, to Airey’s
understated yet powerful keyboard lines. “Thunder in Heaven” is the most progressive tune on here.
With its “start and stop” opening riffs and the keys/guitar assault of
Airey/Burns, the song should appeal to the many prog-heads that are
melodically inclined. “Valentine” closes the album with its tender piano-based
balladry – closing this chapter in Ten’s history with a bang. Admittedly, Ten is one of those bands that you either love or
hate, yet with their latest, and IMO, best album so far, Gary Hughes &
company should be enlisting many more fans. As the current most successful
AOR band, Ten continue to bask in their glory and show no signs of
slowing down. A very welcome return to form for the band and an album that
redefines the boundaries of melodic rock. A perfect 10, all puns intended. ----Released in 2000 by Now & Then/Frontiers Records | Tracklist: The Stranger, Barricade, Give in this Time, Love Became the Law, The Heat, Silent Rain, Timeless, Black Hearted Woman, Thunder in Heaven, Valentine Go to Page 2 |
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