With Back On My Trail, it starts fine. The piece is removed and the listener instantly hangs with melodies that hit. And there's Doug Aldrich who is having a field day on flawless solo. Musically, it borrows repeatedly traveled roads but there is still, in my case, a discovery: the voice of Deen Castronovo. I knew long ago that the gentleman was a skilled drummer but I did not know how bad it was also good singer. The recipe is much the same on Turn Back Time with the difference that Castronovo and Blades share the song and the chorus is a bit more FM. Listening to this second compo very typical 80's, I told myself that it still sounds pretty cliche ... and yet there is an energy, know-how, something which it ultra catchy m It is hard to resist. Castronovo recalls that it is not part-time drummer and interventions Aldrich are still unstoppable.
With You're Not Alone, the tempo slows down. The song is a mid-tempo ballad close to where Arnel Pineda (Journey current singer) was invited. It's always done well but going one step forward in terms of sanitization. Be careful not to fall into something too smooth ... Fortunately, Locked Out Of Paradise, while remaining within AOR, just breathe a bit more guitar, power and energizing melody. Revolution Saints master the science of effective melodic rock, he will prove it again a little later with Strangers To This Life, Better World (the tempos and refrains almost interchangeable ... which is a bit strange for two pieces that follow each) or very good To Mend A Broken Heart. As for me, the rub comes more than a high number of walks (or pseudo-ballads) and a perfected arrangement. Way To The Sun (where Neal Schon of Journey came to lay a guitar solo) Do not Walk Away Forever and Here are all quiet and very tracks to follow closely when they could have benefited from being the most remote each other. A final ballad, In The Name Of The Father, concludes this first recording adventure Revolution Saints.
Verdict: Revolution Saints is as pleasant album that predictable. Production impeccable musicians, melodies that caress you in the direction of hair growth, expertise indisputable ... but also some redundancies and a little too much sugar in places. An AOR album necessarily wise and smooth but extremely effective ... fans of the genre should find their account as a whole is pro and catchy. We can always blame him (rightly) not to have a strong personality, but it will be difficult to contest the immediate pleasure it provides. If it's hard Californian melodic rock high fly you need, with all that that implies positive energy and good feelings, you've come to the right place!
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