Jaded * Heart
The Journey Will Never End
| Track Listing 1. Intro 2. Kid Is Going Down 3. The Journey Will Never End 4. On The Rise 5. We'll Drag You Down 6. Only Human 7. Lucky Son 8. I'll Be There 9. Larger Than Life 10. Dangerous Destiny 11. These Are The Good Times 12. Sunshine Memories 13. Sign Of The Times MTM 2002 |
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| More Releases by Jaded Heart: Jaded Heart - Inside Out (1994) Jaded Heart - Slaves and Masters (1996) Jaded Heart - Mystery Eyes (1997) Jaded Heart - IV (1999) |
More Michael Bormann : Sygnet - Children of the Future (1998) Michael Bormann - Michael Bormann (2002) |
| Jaded Heart has been around for nearly twelve
years now but very few are aware of it since their first album "Inside Out"
squeaked out in 1994 without any fanfare at all. Not that the year was a good one for any
kind of rock music that was devoid of turned down guitars and offkey vocals. Slowly but
surely they built their house from the ground up, their debut being a solid foundation and
going from there. "Slaves & Masters" was an excellent outing, a full bodied
melodic romp and "Mystery Eyes" soared out with equal respect, but the adoration
began full fledged with the simply titled "IV" in 1999. Its mix of rock 'n roll
theatrics and melodic sensibilities gained them comparisons to a multitude of bands, most
notably their country mates Fair Warning. This success was followed up with a track titled
"Champion" which became the official song of the 2001 Icehockey World
Championship. Jaded Heart had arrived. Not bad for a band that formed a scant year or two
before the great metal fallout of the very early 1990s. While Fair Warning's star faded, Jaded Heart's is still burning bright, and "The Journey Will Never End" is another exciting chapter in the outfit's ongoing diary. Singer, songwriter, guitarist, and band founder, the amazingly talented Michael Bormann is someone you have most likely heard before. He fronted Bonfire, Letter-X and Sygnet before Jaded Heart, but this is truly where he is at home the best, belting lush rockers and delicate ballads. |
"TJWNE" is a nice cd
all around. Nothing overly groundbreaking, and comparisions run amok to a million bands
and their likenesses. "On the Rise" has the endless ripple effect of melodic
masters and the heavily Journey inspired Frontline. Guitar-wise it takes a hint from
"Against the World" and sports rougher and tougher guitar that is trim but
aggressive on the edges. "Lucky Son" is delivered in a storyteller fashion, much
like Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive" and other wannabe a Cowboy western-ized
dramas. "Only Human" is a Winger inspired track that has hints of Damn Yankees
with its freedom found chorus and overbearing pop structures. The vocals remain clean and
the guitar soaring like a bird carried on ocean winds. "I'll Be There" cracks
the whip into a moodier direction, picking up a hint of soul but could have used a dash
more spice. Its getting there but doesn't reach the heights that are initially imagined.
"Larger Than Life" is the runaway surprise. J'Heart have covered their
contemporaries and inspirations repeatedly with their reworking of Phil Collin's
"Easy Lover" to a dead on recreation of the intense romance gone bad classic
"Stone Cold" by Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, but covering a pop top 40 giant?
They must be insane. If "Larger Than Life" sounds familiar, it should. A few
years back you couldn't help but hear it if you flipped through music video channels or
visited any chain record store that blasts the latest wholesome pop tart or boy band at
ear shattering volumes while you were rummaging around for Death Angel or Yanni's Greatest
Hits. Still can't pin a band on it? The truth will make your blood run cold, for its the
Backstreet Boys. We listen to obscure alternatives from the radio darlings to get away
from this very thing and to have one of our bands cover something like this can disgust a
fan pretty quick. But let's not be rash because this cover is amazingly good, and it must
have taken guts to record this (or else they really didn't care at all! who knows?) Taken
for 'just another song' instead of acknowledging its horrorfying roots, it kicks some
major ass. Pumped up and energetic, filled to the hilt with high charged guitar theatrics
and the addictive chorus that's simplistic but slams the breath right out of your lungs,
it actually works. Then again, that shouldn't be too much of a shock since metal bands
have been retooling ABBA songs for years now, turning Swedish disco divas' 70s hitmakers
into absolute metallic bliss for the new millenium. What's next? A Metal Tribute to
N'SYNC? Metal's Best of Britny? |
"The Journey Will Never End" is overall a pleasant diversion. Taking it too seriously could result in a loss of enjoyment over the fluffy German flavoured hard rock with a solid backbone lurking underneath. A decent array of songs with a handful that rise above the average bar. Unfortunately along with all the good, come the fillers and while not painful to endure, definitely lack the punch to strike the right chords with the listener to ensconce themselves into permenant memory. Bormann might be stretching himself too thin between Rain, his solo career and other projects, and with him the sole songwriter, it becomes quickly apparent that maybe a little outside help would be a cool booster for the next disc to inject a little more life into the band, who's bright light is now waning. "TJWNE" is good, but its hard to shake the feeling that it could have been... a lot better. Ratings and Wrap Up: |
