Rock Cental: Reviews

Heaven's Edge was one of the bands that got itself caught in the early 90's shuffle of hard rock bands. Although they were labeled "another one of the bunch," they clearly had something many others of those didn't have: talent. Their self titled debut was a stroke of pure genius - a groundbreaking release that mixed the best of the genre while still adding originality and uniqueness to the equation.

After being dropped, as most bands of the time were, they broke up and faded to the "where are they now" lists. But now MTM brings us the reunited band and their new album. Upon first listen, I wasn't impressed and thought that it was a simply predictable release. Yet, the songs kept growing on me and I realized that, yes, they are a bit predictable, but they are predictable Heaven's Edge, which is still one rank above most hard rock bands.

The album is strongest when it doesn't stray too far from the band's debut. Songs like the title track and Rollercoaster are just too experimental for the band's sound.

However, the album's opening track Rock Steady is one of the best hard rock songs that has been released on these past years. The industry has grown much more in favor of AOR bands and hard rock has not been as successfully reintroduced to the fans as slower forms of melodic rock have. This is a VERY welcome return to power rock!

After the title track which is too Mellencamp-ish to fit the band's style, we have two other awesome rockers: Jacky and Jump on It. This band sounds so good and sharp it's almost unbelievable. Plus the production is one of the best I have heard from the MTM roster.

Just Another Fire is pretty much a color-by-numbers power ballad performed to perfection. Backstreat Driver is another fast rocker, but doesn't have much of an identity - still it blends well with the rest of the album. On a side note - this song has what has got to be the best guitar solo of the year.

Cuts Both Ways has a great verse melody line, but they go into a weird chorus that just doesn't work for the song. On the other hand, Call My Name works fantastically. The guitar riff is really powerful and, no doubt, what drives the nail of this rocker.

Cry is a mid-tempo ballad which, just like Call My Name, is extremely reminiscent of Lillian Axe, perhaps the only other original band of "the bunch." The guitar solo, just like on most songs, is great and hopefully will lead the way for more rocking and flashier solos in releases to come.

Rollercoaster is a futile attempt at trying to sound modern. It's not a bad song, but it doesn't belong with the rest of the album.

Heaven's Edge have really outdone themselves and I am crossing my fingers and hoping that more record companies realize that we need more power in our rock. AOR is great and I love it as much as the next guy, but every now and then I need more power in my music. This disc sure has enough meat to satisfy me for a long while and anyone in search of more rocking music should definitely check it out.

----Released in 1998 by MTM Records | Tracklist: Rock Steady, Some Other Place - Some Other Time, Jacky, Jump On It, Just Another Fire, Backseat Lover, Cuts Both Ways, Call My Name, Cry, Rollercoaster

Fans of big, big choruses beware: this wolf's on the prowl! Former Starship guitarist, Craig Chaquico has assembled a first class group of musicians; their combined talents blend into a tight and solid sound which is reminiscent of old Def Leppard (before they went into over-producing everything) and Blue Tears. The production is crisp without being too sugar-coated - small wonder since Mike Clink ( Guns 'N Roses ) functioned as executive producer.

The album starts off on high octane with Midnight Angel and only slows down for songs like Crystal , a beautiful ballad about drug addiction. Big Bad Wolf has an incredible ability to produce song after song without being repetitive or boring. The rockers are HUGE. The ballads soft and gentle - always with the right amount of attitude.

I Can't Get Over You is probably my favorite track here since it begins acoustically and then kicks off into powerhouse frenzy with one of the most memorable choruses I've heard in a while. However, Cutting Edge comes in a close second. This one is a power ballad which showcases vocalist Rolf Hartley's high and powerful lungs.

Other highlights include Whereyawannago, a mid-paced rocker which features multi-layered choruses and awesome guitar riffs. Light On For You is reminiscent of Gods of War by Def Leppard , although it is rather slower. This band has a tight sense of harmony and it shows in how well the vocal melodies and guitar lines blend together. There are no fillers on this album - every song stands on its own and each showcase a different side of the band. It doesn't matter what you're looking for in a band - be it harmony, driving force, power, fist-raising anthems, artistry, smart lyrics and wit or flat out fun - you're sure to find something for you in this band.

----Released in 1998 by MTM Records | Tracklist: Midnight Angel, Whereyawannago, I Can't Get Over You, Walk Don't Run, Crystal, Shot Down By Love, Cutting Edge, Three Chords of Steel, Light On For You, Blame It On Rock, Don't Say Good Bye

Not really a full-blown comeback to mind-boggling AOR soundtracks, but still a very welcome step in the right direction. The fact is, that this album was much of a risk for Sony music, but it is out, and doing great on the charts. This album focuses around Aerosmith, who seem to take center stage, represented by 4 full songs, and a Steven Tyler encore that closes the album. We sure know where Sony has their priorities.

The first song on the album is Aersomith's I Don't Want To Miss a Thing, the band's best ballad since Permanent Vacation's Angel - the band seem to be going back to the style that made them house names for the second time. Let's hope they stay focused for the next album.

Up next is the song I was most interested in: Journey's Remember Me - the band's first single with new vocalist Steve Augeri, formerly of Tall Stories and Tyketto. The song is a very rocking tune that left me anticipating a full return to Journey's rock side. Plus, Augeri's vocals fit the band's dynamics quite comfortably. This is a very strong song, and given the push it needs, would have been a successful single. But remember who's the big name on this album. (Hint, they play the next song on the album).

The second new Aerosmith song is more reminding of the band's latest endeavors than their past glory, but it still manages to be amusing. The ZZ Top and Bob Seger tracks I don't care much for. Plus they are old tracks so I won't bother to talk about them.

Shawn Colvin delivers a nice song, that is quite melodic although still very similar to the current Women rockers trend. Again, I'll skip over a couple tracks, Aerosmith 's Sweet Emotion and Come Together, both great, classic tracks that have been discussed almost to exhaustion everywhere else.

Jon Bon Jovi's song, Mister Big Time is not a bad song at all, although it is far more modern than what we have come to expect of him.

Wish I Were You is the return of Patty Smyth, and I must say, this is her best song outside of her albums with Scandal. A very soothing and melodic moment in the album. Once more, I don't really care for the song Starseed by Our Lady Peace, since it's much too alternative for my taste.

Ok. Now I must admit I'm on the minority here, bit I really like Chantal Kreviazuk's version of Leaving on a Jet Plane. I think this is a very fitting version and the song's poetry is given a nice spotlight. The last two songs are Trevor Rabin 's instrumental, which is a pretty great as far as instrumentals go, and Animal Crackers - a reprise of I Don't Want To Miss a Thing 's chorus along with dialogue from the movie.

As a whole, Armageddon is not too great a soundtrack. It is certainly far below the caliber of classics like Bill & Ted and Top Gun, but still it is able to provide some great new songs by bands that should interest most AOR/Rock fans. Not a bad buy at all.

----Released in 1998 by Sony Music | Tracklist: Aerosmith - I Don't Want To Miss A Thing, Journey - Remember Me, Aerosmith - What Kind of Love Are You On, ZZ Top - La Grange, Bob Seger & SBB - Roll Me Away, Shawn Colvin - , Aersomith - Sweet Emotion, Jon Bon Jovi - Mister Big Thing, Aerosmith - Come Together, Patty Smyth - Wish I Were You, Our Lady Peace - Starseed, Chantal Kreviazuk - Leaving on a Jet Plane, Theme from Armageddon - Trevor Rabin, Animal Crackers - Steven Tyler/Dialogue

Slaughter has always been the odd band out: they have an unconventional sound to them, but this makes them truly original. They have a flair for crafty songs and pop harmonies that borrow heavily from the Beatles. The energy of this band has always translated well enough unto their live shows, as was evidenced by their Stick It Live E.P.

The only thing I'm curious about is how the band selected this track listing. I mean, there are many, many other songs Slaughter could have chosen to be included on this album, and I feel they left out some of the better ones. They should have chosen songs that reflect more their diversity and since this album was released a full year after their last studio album, they could have selected songs from every one of their 4 great albums. Anyway, what's done is done.

Since almost all these songs have been out for a while, there's not too much more to say about them. The only "new" track is Rock the World, which is a pretty good typical Slaughter rocker in the lines of Get Used to It and Searchin' . Highlights include a simpler, laid back and interactive version of Spend My Life, which finds Mark Slaughter enjoying the song and playing with it and the audience. Another highlight is Real Love, which is probably their best slow song - and it comes out great live.

The album transports me to watching the band at a small bar three years ago. The sound is intimate and the audience noise is always a great background to straight-ahead rock n' roll. The ultimate party band does throw great parties and shows and Eternal Live is a good collection of captured moments. If you know how good this band is live, you'll want to pick this up. If you haven't seen them live, this is the best next thing.

----Released in 1998 by CMC International | Tracklist: Rock The World, Get Used To It, Shout It Out, Mad About You, Spend My Life, Fly To The Angels, Real Love, Dance For Me, Searchin,' Wildlife, Move To The Music, Up All Night

This album really surprised me. I was expecting something a bit rockier, in the lines of Abandon , but this is still one powerful album. It reminds me a lot of Ten and their acoustic introductions. The sound of Calm Before The Storm can be better described as overwhelmingly acoustic driven, but not in a bad way. Yet Dare is much more than that. The lyrics are deep and self-conscious, the keyboard playing is entrancing and the songs enjoy an epic quality to them that is unparalleled.

For this album, the band has adapted a more laid-back original sound and the songs seem to flow more around singer Darren Wharton's voice than anything else. The vocal harmonies are just perfect and very similar in structure to those between Tommy Shaw and Jack Blades in Damn Yankees.

Walk On Water sets the mood for the album with its mystical acoustic intro and then rocks out the hardest of the album. Some Day follows in pretty much the same direction, but still manages to be a bit milder.

Now, the first breathtaking song is the title track. This ballad has everything the album stands for: the harmonies, the keys, the guitar. Plus, it's stop and start features (just when you think the song's over it starts off again) drive the song into epic majesty. This song is the audio analogy to the album's cover: refreshing, alluring and mysterious.

Rescue Me gets the rock rolling out again, but still the acoustic guitars are right up-front in the mix. On this song, Andrew Moore's guitar blazes through, adding to the atmospheric quality of the song.

Three great songs follow in Silence of Your Head , Rising Sun and Ashes all of which are slower songs with introspective lyrics and harmonies to die for. But after a while, they all become a bit undistinguishable and this is perhaps where Dare's weakest point is: variety. The songs can end up sounding quite alike.

Crown of Thorns goes back to the band's mid-paced style and again, Moore steals the spotlight from Wharton. The guitar lines are reminiscent of Neal Schon and Ten axe slinger Vinny Burns. While Deliverance slows down electrically, Still In Love With You is the real keeper of the last two songs.

Although Calm Before the Storm finds Dare in a more relaxed atmosphere, the band still shines through and delivers a fine collection of songs. Moore's guitar playing will surely put him on the map with this release - he blends the styles of the great players but still plays with a personal touch. This is an album to listen to with the lights off and lying back. It proves to be a hypnotizing trip and an ambience inducing experience.

----Released in 1998 by MTM Records | Tracklist: Walk On The Water, Some Day, Calm Before The Storm, Rescue Me, Silence Of Your Head, Rising Sun, Ashes, Crown of Thorns, Deliverance, Still In Love With You

After what I thought was an average debut album, Von Groove went into grunge territory with their second outing, Rainmaker. Now the band has found their way back to good ol' rock n' roll - and they have learned a whole deal on their journey. Chameleon finds the band tighter and in more creative spirits than on their debut. The songs are finally living up to the potential of these musicians. Rather than being average, Von Groove have now mastered an original sound and play this to perfection. On their soul-searching trip, the band seems to have picked up the pop sensibilities of Cheap Trick and Enuff Znuff and the spice of Mr. Big and mixed this with their own Canadian flavor.

Calling the World opens the album with a mid-tempo, AOR-ish song that would certainly go great live. The style of this song, greatly melodic verses and anthemic, gang-vocal choruses is one that graces many of the songs, like Chameleon and All for Rock'n Roll. Other songs, like the awesome Two Nights in Tokyo and Disbeliever have a fuller, rockier quality to them and the band rocks out in a great way, flashy solos and all. The only thing I don't like much is the use of distorted vocals (Mission Man and The Snake) - this is something that really should be discouraged in bands. It doesn't allow the songs - which are really great - to shine as bright as they would otherwise.

The ballads are all sweet and bare - sometimes a bit too bare, like in April May. But they still manage to balance the sound of the album. Stop Sleeping Your Dreams Away, however, is a ballad which carries on well-enough to be a good point of reference as to the defining sound of Von Groove.

Chameleon proves that this band has always had a lot of potential. The members are all true artists and very talented musicians. It is great to see them putting out music that showcases their talents. But it is also equally great to see them have so much fun. Many bands in the AOR/Hard Rock camp have been taking themselves too seriously these days, but Von Groove have kept it at heart to enjoy the ride.

----Released in 1998 by MTM Records | Tracklist: Calling the World, Two Nights in Tokyo, Chameleon, Mission Man, When Love Comes Back, The Snake, April May, All For Rock'n Roll, Without You, Disbeliever, Propaganda, Stop Sleeping Your Dreams Away, Soldier of Fortune, Barely Human

Well, it seems the Nelson brothers change styles with every single album. After the awesome After the Rain, the band shifted gears and gave us a mostly acoustic album with Because They Can (although still a fine slice of rock music). Now, the boys have turned 180 degrees and served us a collection of powerful hard, heavy rock. Still, if you're familiar with Nelson, you know that everything they lay their fingers on turns to gold. They have a rare talent of sounding great no matter what they play or how they play it.

Imaginator finds the band borrowing immensely from Enuff Znuff (even snatching two contributions with the band). The harmonies Nelson's been known for blend magically with the power-pop metal style of the Znuffs.

Imaginator is a concept album, even though quite loosely, about the evils of TV. The songs are quite good, if strange, coming from this band . Do You Believe in Religion is the first vocal song on the album, and gets it off to a good start in a very rocking fashion (the album has 7 tracks that are either instrumentals or soundbytes).

The band slows down a little for Kiss Me When I Cry - which has a HUGE Jack Ponti chorus. After that, Sooner or Later rocks on again, while We Always Want What We Can't Get slows down again - this time to a full ballad which is rough and heavy, unlike any ballad the band has sung before.

She Gets Down is one of the two songs the band collaborated on with Enuff Znuff and it just sounds like a Znuff song - but with better vocals. Tell Me is a beautiful ballad that is more in the vein of their earlier work. The acoustic guitars and the brother's trademark duet drive this song home. Action gets the band into a much more fun mood than I have ever heard them - and it pays off. This is pretty much the best song of the album. Great sound and Queen -like vocal harmonies.

We're All Alright is the second Znuff song on the album and again, is quite typical Znuff groovy. Again, fun and great melodies. The Judas Mirror ends the vocal songs with a melancholy note not too foreign from Because They Can . Imaginator closes off the album with a progressive and HEAVY instrumental that's got touches of psychedelic in it.

I really did enjoy this album, although, honestly, I don't want them to release something like this again. I want to see them combine this darker side of their music with lighter sounds and poppier arrangements. The ideal Nelson album would be a mix between this and After the Rain. We'll see what these geniuses have in store for us next time.

----Released in 1998 by Fuel 2000 | Tracklist: On/Off, Sinners, Inc., Do You Believe In Religion, Kiss Me When I Cry, I Don't Mess Around, Boy, Sooner or Later, We Always Want What We Can't Get, It's Your Body, She Gets Down, Tell Me, Greed, Action, Ain't Nothin' Really Changed, We're All Alright, The Judas Mirror, In a Perfect World, Imaginator

On their self-titled debut, Harlan Cage introduced a sound that is pure AOR if nothing else. However, that album was a bit under-produced and the songs sounded like nothing more than a collection of demos. Thanks to the backing of a complete band, Double Medication Tuesday takes Harlan Cage to the full-blown sound I knew they were capable of. The songwriting has also improved in their second album. This is a selection of keyboard-driven powerful AOR songs that might put Harlan Cage at the forefront of the AOR race.

The first two songs, Blow Wind Blow and Halfway Home help set the mood for a fast paced AOR classic-in-the-making. Lola's In Love is another great song which could have been better if they hadn't slowed it for the first part of the choruses. This weakens the song - halting the momentum it carries from the beginning.

Solitary Dance is a slower song very similar to One Naked Kiss from the band's debut. It's a very enjoyable song and a display of the band's fluidity and diversity.

My Mama Said returns the album to its rockier sound but the chorus lets the song down a little bit. The problem is that Harlan Cage can fall into a certain repetitiveness in the way they construct the songs' choruses. This was a problem on their first album, and although they have overcome it for the most part, it still rears its ugly head in sometimes on this disc.

As they did on their first album, Harlan Cage revisits one of Fortune's song (vocalist L.A. Greene and keys man Roger Scott Craig's former band) - this time the awesome Dearborn Station . This new version works much better than their version of 98 in the Shade off the first album. The song has been modernized, but still conserves its original qualities.

Defend This Heart of Mine , Restless Hearts and Lights Out for Losers all have the classic Harlan Cage sound to them, but add in the flavor of in-your-face guitar riffs that just push the songs to heights the band never reached on their first album.

As You Are is a decent song but it doesn't fit on this album. It has the bareness that ruled the better part of the debut. This one should have been worked on longer and added a better guitar sound to it. (Ok, confession time. I've been listening to this CD for almost a year now, and the song has grown immensly on me. I now consider it the best track on the CD. Go figure! - June 1999).

Turn Up The Radio and Joker on the Kings Highway are both pretty good but finish the album in a sort of low key. The latter is a mid-paced ballad with some depressing lyrics, leaving a rather sad taste to the album. It leaves the listener wanting more - at least one more song - something to lift us up before we go. But I guess that's why I'm thankful for CD's. One can play them on shuffle and not conform to the artist's choice of song order.

Despite the low points, Double Medication Tuesday will blow the minds of those who enjoyed the first Harlan Cage album. It finds the band stronger and refreshed by the new members. It is definitely a step up and should find the band many new fans.

----Released in 1998 by MTM Music | Tracklist: Blow Wind Blow, Halfway Home, Lola's in Love, Solitary Dance, My Mama Said, Dearborn Station, Defend This Heart of Mine, Restless Hearts, Lights Out For Losers, As You Are, Turn Up The Radio, Joker on the King's Highway

Every fan of AOR/Hard Rock has heard Mike Slammer's work in one way or another. You have either heard some band singing his songs, albums produced by him or even his guitar playing without being told it was him (case in point: Warrant ). The fact is that Slammer is a house name within the industry. Being as talented as he is, Slammer decided to construct the "perfect commercial hard rock" band and after finding the individual musicians and shaping their sound, he gives us Steelhouse Lane. Slammer did indeed unite some great musicians for this outfit, although I wish he had started on ground level in terms of the songs selected for the album. Many of the songs found on Metallic Blue have been previously released by other bands (the title track and Can't Fight Love by House of Lords and Dr. Love by Hardline, among others).

This gives us a point of reference for comparison, and in the end, the original (i.e., the first released) versions still have a stronger hold than the versions found on this album.

This said, the album is still a strong release. Highlights include Addicted with its huge chorus and awesome background vocals. Also, Still and Fire With Fire are very strong rock tunes which are driven by Keith Slack's powerful and clear voice. In fact, Slack's voice makes Dr. Love sound much better in the vocal department than Hardline 's version does, although as a whole the song is a bit dull. Can't Fight Love is pretty much as enjoyable as the House of Lords version - so for the most part, Metallic Blue is pretty consistent.

The ballads are also performed with a touch of class that many bands simply don't have. Brighter Day is the best of the bunch simply because it is the most melodic - reminding me a bit of Whitesnake. Plus it is a perfect closing track.

All in all, Metallic Blue manages to be an enjoyable listen, if not an all too original one. I guess Slammer forgot that the perfect melodic hard rock band should add something new to the genre and not just play the style to perfection, which is pretty much the direction Steelhouse Lane indulges in. If you want a solid rocking album, get it. But don't expect any surprises. There are none.

----Released in 1998 by MTM Records | Tracklist: Metallic Blue, Surrender, Addicted, Find Your Way Home, Dr. Love, Still, Best Years of My Life, Can't Fight Love, Feel My Love, Fire With Fire, Can't Stop, Brighter Day