Another week, yet another batch of rock on my music player to fill the house while I write. This week we have something rather old and a few things rather new. All rather good to be honest, and things for different tastes, from the heavy to sublime.
Place Vandome: Streets of Fire
Former Helloween lead vocalist Michel Kiske has become of a bit of a journeyman vocalist ala Joe Lynn Turner and Jorn. The guy is one of those vocalists that can pretty much take any song and make it his own without coming across as daft. He can do anything from croon like Sinatra to belt em’ out like Sebastian Bach though the blues of David Coverdale and Robert Plant.
Place Vandome, who have no French members despite the name, do a wonderful line in melodic rock that evokes Journey, Night Ranger, and other arena rock bands. What makes this release such a pleasure to listen to is that he has eschewed the bombast that seems to be prevalent in many such modern releases and goes for something far more crooning on tracks that warrant it. Yes, of course, there is prime Whitesnake in the form of “Dancer” which reeks of big arenas, huge choruses and catchiness in extremis. “I’d Die for You” would fit perfect on late-80s Whitesnake, Winger et al releases, without being twee as so many of wanna-be power ballads .
Kiske and his crew of musos, from bands such as Primal Fear, Sainte Demon, Leverage, and Work of Arting really push the boat out of this one. It gets under your skin and takes hold. A great collection of arena AOR that has all the elements you need from this sort of release. I enjoyed every minute of it.
Shakra: Everest
A monumental hard rock release from this bunch of Swiss hard-rockers picks up where “Infected” left off and shows a band that built on their previous experience. Not sounding at all like their fellow countrymen Krokus, this is a far cleaner sounding type of hard rock that works so damn well if done right. There is a touch of Thunder on here at their heaviest. There is a sense of genuine, rather than contrived, writing and performance on this CD.
The songs have all the right elements for proper hard rock. The choruses are catchy from the first listen, the guitar solos are soaring without be over the top and pretentious, the musicianship is first rate. So often you hear about young hard rock bands who get the moves right, but just don’t pull it off with any aplomb what so ever. You need not worry with Skakra; this is the release that should make them darlings of the melodic hard rock fraternity.
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