Melodica - Lovemetal

Danger Danger is back! They never left? Yes, that's true but lead singer Ted Poley surely did... 1989 pop music was what ruled the airwaves, especially those radio friendly trendy tunes that had style, substance and hooks the size of Texas...Danger Danger delivered in all the required categories in their powerhouse debut that combined the raunch of glam with the pop grounded finesse of Bon Jovi. Catchy stuff like the double entendre ridden "Naughty Naughty" and the equally naughty "Bang Bang" stormed the airwaves and the band quickly found they had quite the fan following. "Screw It" continued the ride with more great songs but lost some of the commercialism along the way. Then Ted Poley jumped ship and DD was left floundering for a few years in grunge encrusted waters before finally returning to their roots with the respectable comeback, "Return of the Great Gildersleeves". But whatever happened to Poley, the blonde locked lead singer with the kind of distinctive voice that turned heads and made their ditties memorable?

He recently formed Melodica. Their first album was a sad state to some, and a major disappointment for those expecting a rehash of Danger D. While some of the tunes 'had it', many more didn't, leaving fans of the past jaded and writing the band off as another in a sea of me-toos attempting to ressurrect the past with too much baggage cluttering up the sound. The band promised to rectify the problem with their next release which we now hold in our hands by the name of "Lovemetal".

Poley proves that no, he hasn't lost his voice, and that yes, he can still sing and quite well at that, thank you very much! Melodica's latest is chock full of those beautifully constructed tracks with an eye toward the mainstream market, circa mid 80s, that make those who's hearts are pining away for such, skip merrily in delight.

01.] "Summer Nights" - A gentle wash of sweet nostalgia sweeps in from the very first few notes of this lusciously 1980s styled tune. You'll find no tamperings into the darkness or meddlings with depressing state of the world affairs here, only upbeat goodness with a disticively youthful and summery feel, which fits the title to perfection. Starting off as an acoustic heavy ballad, things heat up as it progresses, taking its wings before very long and careening into a casual free flying pacing that's equal part '88 DD and '88 Bon Jovi, just the way I love it. "My best memories of you, cruising under the starry sky..." But the best part of all, is the true vintage feel of this track, this is no wannabe ripoff, it feels like the genuine thing, and even better is the fact that its brand spankin new... the 80s are dead indeed.

02.] "Head Over Heels" - Superb fast paced opening leaves the listener breathless with breezy guitar acrobatics that leave trails of sparkling flame even as it dies into embers as the song changes its path into a soul yearning ballad-esque feel, which stays not for long at all, the chorus is pure (yep) 80s, hearing bits of TNT in there. Absolutely killer, and I mean killer stuff. Solid as a rock from the twisting opening, gripping chorus that is kept a treat of ear candy by not being repeated too often, the perfectly executed axe solo and the cushy well built opening that is simply stuffed with sound til its fade.

03.] "Lovemetal" - "Hmmmhmmm oh yeah." Light and fluffy, delicate ambience..."Come on!" So this has more muscle than originally thought right? Maybe not as it twists one more time into a soul sister to "Summer Nights". Again, the chorus is simply...a delight, "turned up to ten!". This is dedicated to those special songs that have been the background music to favorite memories held deeply in everyone's heart... The songs you fell in love to that qualified as 'lovemetal', the big bold ballads of a decade gone by. "You can play it for your friends you can play it to the end, if no one hears it its no waste, if it brings a smile onto your face."

04.] "Broken Promises" - Finally a ballad proper, had to happen sooner or later right? Poley sounds positively awesome, singing thoughtfully with a touch of melancholy in a lower, smoother register, breaking out the higher pitched tones in choice places. Melodica just won't let up on those choruses, this one storms the gates into the very center of emotion, ransacking the halls of the soul and stealing away like a thief in the night as the song shimmers to a close in an electric washed ending.

05.] "I'll Never Break Your Heart" - "Looking at you like a dream come true, I can't believe it." Which sums up my feelings for this song... well crafted stuff with a heavy injection of emotion in an upbeat package that screams from the grave of the big hair decade. The band are certainly earning their name with this sweet piece of melodic confection. Similiar to other material on this disc but who cares as long as it feels great to listen to? Top notch stuff, just don't expect originality and you'll enjoy the heck out of it. The guitar is as slick as a lightly raindrop sprinkled highway, the grittier rhythm stuff popping up as token eardrum catchers now and then.

06.] "Out of My Mind" - Slow and carressing, the opening is acoustic but given the way this album has played out thus far, it of course doesn't continue the way it started. "I have butterflies all inside, something's gonna happen, I can feel it growing closer..." The heaviest sections heard so far on the disc show up here especially in some breathtakingly dynamic portions such as the delicious atmosphere that goes along with the following bit: "Broken promises like daggers stabbed, killing me, I'm dying.." The combination of a legion of background vocalists and the cutting edge guitar that does in fact stab, like slivers of glass in the flesh is a powerful force indeed and adds much to the overall flow of the song. This one contains more sizzling solos that you can shake a stick at and handles well with the often confused and love pained subject matter.

07.] "Shake" - Acoustic drifts around in the background as guitar rips it up on the top for an interesting opening of clashing guitar sounds - the plugged and the unplugged. The vocals ease in solid as a rock, and Poley sounds fantastic as he urges with a sweet/sour twist: "Shake - dance for me baby..." Gang vocals shout "shake" as a juicy echo to Poley's own emphasis on the word. Gerhard Pilcher's guitar is arrogant and edgy throughout, giving the song a heavy bottom that sets wonderfully with the acoustic trappings lurking around in the background.

08.] "Crazy" - A nice 'metal yell' to kick things off to a good start and grittier vocals that have the evil slant of Megadeth but then the angel of melodic rock edges in...TNT and Westworld's Tony Harnell, supplying a soaring contrast to the rougher take on the vocals by Poley. Another slay and kill chorus that's extra silky thanks to the help from Harnell...

09.] "Keep On Runnin'" - Soft and light guitars are the main course on the plate for today, with sweet vocals as a nice side delicacy and an easy flowing pace as the garnish.

10.] "What Number Are You?" - Coming off rather furious for this album, this is definitely the most hard rockin' track on "Lovemetal". The axeslinging is bristling and inspired with a few runs that ooze with melodic-ness. This is a send up for the critics that have criticized Poley and even Melodica in the past. Here's what they think about all of you.

11.] "Gotta Save Yourself" - What better way to end an album than with an instrumental ditty? It starts off sounding like a 'song' but before long it becomes evident that no vocals will find their way into the mix this time. Pilcher's guitar antics steal the show, winding around blisteringly and coming into their own with plenty of tricks that never hinder the flowing pace of the song.

With the pressure on, Melodica has managed to storm the studios and crank out one classic sounding disc that could easily have been pressed in 1989 or as a sequel to the original D2 disc. Only a couple of moody surprises like "Out of My Mind" would have seemed out of place, yet fit perfectly in this disc. Ted Poley delivers his best performance since that debut D disc over a decade ago, and Pilcher puts the magic touch on the guitar with some truly memorable moments. This album unfortunately doesn't have universal appeal, although heavier than "Long Way From Home" or "Acoustica", this is more Westcoast AOR than hard rock even, but those who don't give it a chance will miss out on a cd simply packed with superb summery songs dealing with the various states of love. New love, lost within, and breaking out of with either lingering hate or regret. In that aspect, there's a song here that will appeal to whatever state you currently fit in with the big "L" word. This is "Lovemetal" indeed.

8.8
Music: 8.8, Lyrics: 7.5, Musicianship: 8.8, Production: 8.9
Hot Spots: "Summer Nights", "Out of My Mind", "Lovemetal"
Bottom Line: Tight and melodic: a great combo for lovers of lighter hard rock

Review by Alanna Evans

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