Doogie White is such a nice bloke. I met him once in a club in Sweden and we chatted some. Beer was involved. I’m not sure what we chatted about. White is also a damn talented singer with a voice that holds a broad range and a sound of its own. My first acquaintance with him was when he sang on Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow’s 1994 album, the oh so underrated Stranger In Us All and he did a damn good job on it as he was a perfect fit for Rainbow vocally. He has since then also sung with both Yngwie Malmsteen and Michael Schenker on a couple of albums. He was in British metal-act Tank as well. Today, White is in Alcatrazz as Graham Bonnet’s replacement.
White has also released a couple of solo albums where one of them goes under the Come Taste The Band moniker. So, Doogie White is a formidable lead singer. However, as a song-writer it’s a whole other matter. Not that his solo stuff has been bad, it’s just that none of those albums has been that great either. White reminds me of Norwegian singer Jorn Lande in that department – they’re both awesome as hired guns but their own stuff is quite forgettable. In this project, White has teamed up with Swedish guitarist Emil Norberg from power-metallers Perusader, a band whose latest album wasn’t at all to my liking. With all that in mind, it’s hard to get into this album with the highest of hopes but that said, maybe these guys are a perfect match. Maybe it takes the two of them together to create magic. Let’s find out, shall we?
In a faster pace, “Deal With the Preacher” – previously released as an “official audio” – opens the album. It’s an edgy Classic Rock stomper where White’s Rainbow past shows up. It looks back to the 70’s but some of the melodies are early 80’s laden as well. With crispy and gritty guitars and a roaring Hammond, this driving rocker goes for a big live-feel. It’s an ok track but it never really takes off, without a striking chorus to make it a real winner. The upbeat and ballsy “Raging Silence” is a much better tune. With real catchy riffage that travels on a solid and fat foundation, the song also brings along some memorable hooks in the chorus and more of that live-feel. Good one.
“On Wings Of Angels” holds influences from both MSG and Rainbow where Norberg colors his playing with large chunks of both Ritchie Blackmore and Michael Schenker. It’s stompy, groovy and melodically heavy where Classic Rock blends just fine with melodic Hard Rock right on the border where the 70’s turned 80’s. The refrain is direct but not overly catchy. Still a pretty good tune. More late 70’s Rainbow comes along in the upbeat, rhythmic and slightly pompous “Star Rider”. With infectious melodies and a chorus that comes on strong, the tune is the best one so far. Also, the solo-part where guitar and keyboards feeds off each other is so much Rainbow it’s almost plagiarism.
“Hell Has No Fury” with a riff borrowed from AC/DC’s “Hells Bells” goes into darker and more laid-back verses. It’s an intense and firey number that’s again a throwback to 70’s Classic Rock. It’s a slower tune even though the chorus goes more upbeat. Good enough. The single “Master Of Illusion” glances at White’s days with Yngwie Malmsteen – the album Attack! especially. It’s heavier and faster and powerful with a pumping bass, chuggy drums and a driving guitar which brings on a Blackmore twist as well. Good. Deep Purple shows up in “Hallelujah Brother” with its Jon Lord-like hammond and chunky guitars. It’s intense, electrifying and very mid 70’s sounding. However, it’s a decent tune but the absence of clear hooks makes it hard to stick with me.
Faster, harder and slightly metal-fused, “Steeltown” sure kicks up some dust and feels like a show-opener to me. That both White and Norberg are fans of Schenker and Blackmore comes across very well here, both when it comes to the playing, the music and the vocal-melodies. It’s punchy and rough with direct melodies but as a whole, the song never really reaches the goal and comes off as a quite forgettable. The Classic Rock ballad “Never Wrote A Love Song” is without a doubt the best song on the album. It’s soulful, emotional and holds a darker atmosphere. It’s pretty much a 70’s rock-ballad with a slight touch of 80’s power-balladry with a stunning refrain that sticks right off the bat. Very good.
Much more pop-laden is the Joe Lynn Turner era Rainbow sounding “Where Will You Run To”. On a Classic Rock foundation, the tune goes for a Melodic Rock vibe melodically. Some slicker parts takes the song into AOR-territory which brings on a dynamic contrast between the crunchy guitars and the smooth vocal-lines. A catchy chorus is the icing on cake here and it sticks right off the bat. Good one. The album closes with “We Don’t Shoot Our Wounded”, a punchy rocker in uptempo and a 70’s swagger with a chunky groove. I like the sound here but the tune lacks hooks and memorability – and the chorus is lost on me completely. Not bad but forgettable.
What we have here is two really talented musicians. Norberg seems to be almost too influenced by Blackmore both when it comes to playing and song-writing which in turn takes away any identity for the project. That said, the biggest issue I have with this record is in the song-writing department – the songs just aren’t good enough. The album is too easily forgotten which also is the case of the songs I like here – I like them when I listen to them but afterwards they fall into oblivion. This is a record where I can’t find anything bad on it but where everything feels bland. It’s impossible to bring out the chainsaw for the record but it’s just as impossible to hand out any cigars.
4/10
Tracklist:
1. Deal With The Preacher
2. Raging Silence
3. On Wings Of Angels
4. Star Rider
5. Hell Has No Fury
6. Master Of Illusion
7. Hallelujah Brother
8. Steeltown
9. Never Wrote A Love Song
10. Where Will You Run To
11. We Don’t Shoot Our Wounded
CD & Festival reviews 