There is something rewarding about hearing RJD belt out tracks like "Buckingham Blues" and "Driftin". The disc lends credence to the belief that the guy could sign whatever he put his mind to. He was truly a veried singer that was well chosen both by Blackmore and eventually Black Sabbath. RJD could take whatever song it was and make it is his own. And like another journeyman vocalist who could sing anything, Glen Hughes, RJD was originally a bassist. If you are a fan of RJD then you might want to seek this out to learn about his music beginnings. It won't be a daily choice for sure, but it is worthy of the occasional listen.
Paradise Inc.: Time
One thing is damn sure about this band: they want to be Bon Jovi so hard it hurts. Carsten "Lizard" Schultz has got all the Bon Jovisms down pat. Of course, since he is German he ends up sounding a great deal like veteran vocalist Michael Bormann. The funny thing about this band is that they are in fact from Brazil.
There is nothing tribal or thrashy about this bunch. Yes, there is more to Brazilian heavy rock than Sepultura clones. I have to admit that at first this album washed over me and did not leave much of an impression. By that I mean that it didn't fill me with joy or disgust. It is just a collection of pop hard rock done with all the class and sophistication you expect from this sort of band.
For good measure, they have people like Doogie White singing backing vocals and Allessandro del Vechhio producing and playing keyboards on this effort. All the elements to make it vaguely European-sounding hard rock have been enlisted. It could be said that the band are a bit characterless due to the production.
This version even includes two versions of the track "Steel or Stone" for some reason, the "acoustic" bonus track version better than the album track. The song works better with the touch of a female voice. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this album. It's great catchy music for a long drive. It's just missing something that takes this kind of release from being decent or all right to good or great. The production makes it all sound a bit soulless and manufactured.
Article comments
1 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
"Like Opeth's latest, this new Cynic EP is an acquired taste."
The major difference here is that this smoother progression of sound for Cynic started on "Traced in Air" and actually surfaced quite a bit on the remix album. Plus, imho, they have a more qualified personnel to pull off such a feat. Opeth, on the other hand, abruptly jumped ship without the right musicians to attempt a "Fusion" record. Thus,to me, the new Cynic album is a much more concerted effort and the new Opeth sounds disjointed.
Great review... Some new albums I suggest:
Arch / Matheos - Sympathetic Resonance
Exemption - Public Cemetery Party
Leprous - Bilateral
Manilla Road - Voyager