Sorry for the lack of content. Been busy with other things lately, so I haven't been as focused on listening to new stuff. However, I did squeeze in these three, which are a solid trio of albums. Here's what I've been checking out lately!
While I've enjoyed a few of Hardline's more recent songs, I've heard that their debut album is a classic hard rock gem that came out at a time when that style was getting pushed to the curb. Featuring Neal Schon of Journey (while they were on hiatus), and Dean Castronovo, who would later join Journey and be on plenty of modern AOR bands, this certainly has the credentials, and songs are exactly what I expected.
Right off, the first thing I noticed was the massive production. This is stadium-ready rock right out of the gate. The guitars are massive and crunchy, and Johnny Gioeli's vocals soar over everything with gusto. The songs seem to drift back and forth between Whitesnake-style pop metal and the AOR style the band would become better known for these days. It also finds a decent balance between hard rockers and epic ballads. The lyrics are a little cheesy, but it fits right in with contemporaries like Steelheart and Slaughter.
However, Hardline got dropped by their label after this and wouldn't come back together for ten years with nearly a new lineup, but I know the 90s were pretty hard on bands like this. It's also interesting to hear Neal Schon do something heavier than what I'm used to hearing from him. The songs that stood out to me the most were "Rhythm from a Red Car," "Everything," and the Japanese exclusive track "Love Leads the Way," which is probably my favorite. With big, rocking tracks like these, I can see why this album would have been a gem for those trying to find melodic rock in the grunge era.
Back in November of 2020, I checked out two songs from this group and thought they were some decent symphonic power metal. The name stuck with me, though, and this month I thought I'd finally go back and give their entire album a chance. Feeling like a sonic mix of Rhapsody of Fire, Beast in Black, and Sonata Arctica, the album starts with a lot of energy, but seems to lose a lot of that drive towards the end.
The production really stands out here, going for this lush, layered, wall-of-sound style that really goes as epic as it can, making it easily comparable to Rhapsody of Fire. Songs like "We Fight for Eternity" and "Far Away" are solid examples of the symphonic side of the band. The lyrics are also reminiscent of their fellow Italians, as it's full of fantasy themes and personal stakes. However, in the midst of all the orchestrations, there seems to be an emphasis on 80s synths, a la Beast in Black, including some solos! Tracks "Against the Hellfire," "Dying for Love," and "Moonlight Phantom" are good examples of this sound. Finally, vocalist Marco Pastorino seems to be an Italian Tony Kakko, giving these cheesy lyrics a strong sense of authority with his performative style. The album's ballads "Always With You," "Finding Yourself," and "Missing You" show some strong Sonata Arctica influences as well. And where is the titular Cristiano Filippini? While I think most of his work is in the orchestrations, there are some nice melodic guitar solos throughout the album. I get the impression that he probably a quite capable shredder, but instead he goes for more of an emotional, melodic approach most of the time, which I thought fit the songs quite well.
Describing all of this may seem like the album is rather all over the place, and it certainly has a lot of dynamics over its runtime. However, the production keeps things pretty consistent in tone, so nothing felt out of place. My favorite track has to be "Lightning in the Night," because I feel like it's the one that blends the different styles together for a great power metal epic. Unfortunately, it's sandwiched by a pair of ballads, and the rest of the album doesn't have quite that same energy towards the end. Still, I think this was a pretty solid listen, overall, and I would certainly want to check out any more from this project, if they decide to make a follow up to this.
After enjoying their debut album last year, I thought I'd take some time and listen to the second album Seven Planets had to offer. Once again, we're back into that classic instrumental jazzy blues-rock, where there is plenty of licks and drum fills. However, this album certainly sees an increase in the psychedelic side of things.
Probably the biggest difference is the amount of effects on the guitars to really let them drift in and out of the song. While the fun licks are still here, the guitars are much more atmospheric than before. Nowhere is that more prevalent than on the 10 minute epic "Objects in Space." This one really takes the listener on a journey, with some nice builds and breakdowns that flow well. In fact, flow is probably the highlight of the entire album, as the songs just kinda drift through the mind with ease.
Not to say that the album is forgettable by any means; there are plenty of solid riffs and melodies to be found here. Stand out tracks for me were the epic "Objects in Space," "Lamont Starfield" with it's harder rock riffing, and "9th Time," which starts kinda mellow, but builds up pretty well, ending with a lot of good energy. The whole album is just so jammy, though, that it feels like it washes over the mind, like a soothing bath. I do think this is an improvement over the first album, though, as the guitar effects help to establish a solid, spacey atmosphere that I enjoyed quite a bit.
I think, for the forseeable future, I'm going to shift my schedule slightly. My goal now is to try and do three articles a month: a Last Played, an Anniversary Series, and a New Videos. I don't mean to make excuses, but right now, I've got some other concerns that are taking priority. Still, I don't plan to quit by any means; I still have plenty of things I'm looking forward to talking about! So things might slow down a bit, but I'm still marching forward. Next will be the Anniversary Series article for 1992, so look forward to that! Until then, rock ! \m/
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