Tuesday , March 19 2024
The 2011 version of Whitesnake returns with their 11th studio album.

Music Review: Whitesnake – Forevermore

David Coverdale and his latest band of merry hard rockers have just released their 11th studio album. Forevermore joins five live and ten compilation albums, plus assorted singles, videos, and E.P.’s, which have been issued during the band’s 34-year career.

After serving a three-year stint in Deep Purple (1973-1976), Coverdale put together Whitesnake, which sounded somewhat like the band he had just left. They had evolved into one of the better hard-rock bands by 1983. And by 1986 they had achieved mass appeal in the United States with such hit albums as Whitesnake and Slip Of The Tongue. Their success enabled them to produce several hit singles including the Number One “Here I Go Again” and the Number Two “Is This Love.”

The current group includes bassist Michael Devin, drummer Brian Tichy, and guitarists Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach. Coverdale, handling the vocals, has remained the constant throughout the band’s long career.

My only complaint down through the years has been that many of the band’s albums have sounded somewhat the same and have lacked distinct personalities. And yet this is a positive thing if you like their sound and approach, which has always been to produce some of the better and slicker, basic hard-rock albums during the last three plus decades.

Thinking back to their large catalogue, Forevermore certainly fits right in, as it contains well-played and well-produced hard rock. The album is probably one of the stronger overall efforts of their career.

There is a lot to like here. The lead track, “Steal Your Heart Away,” has a tough blues sound and quickly proves that Coverdale has lost none of his vocal prowess. “All Out Of Love” is a nice rocker with a heavier sound than usual. “I Need You (Shine A Light)” illustrates that, sometimes, simple rock is best. “Whipping Boy Blues” is bad-attitude rock that looks back to the band’s early days.

There are a couple of well-done ballads aswell, which provide a nice change of pace. “Easier Said Than Done” is the type of feel-good ballad that Whitesnake has been so good at producing in the past. “One Of These Days” uses acoustic guitars to provide the foundation for Coverdale’s vocals. The most interesting track, however, is the title song. It is melodic, heavy, and contains a number of sophisticated tempo changes.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this 2011 version of Whitesnake, but the album immediately proved to be business as usual, which put me in a comfort zone. Forevermore continues their legacy of producing very good, hard rock ‘n’ roll.

About David Bowling

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Clutch Press Photo COURTESY OF DAN WINTERS

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