LILLIAN AXE – Deep Red Shadows

It was less than a year since Lillian Axe released the brilliant Sad Day On Planet Earth (2009) album. And the fact that its predecessor and debut reunion album (well, the line up is all new except for guitarist, songwriter and band leader Stevie Blaze) Waters Rising (2007) were a killer CD as well, made my expectations rise high when I got the word that the Axe were about to release a new album so soon. But I soon realised that this album wasn’t that new at all. Out of the nine tracks that are featured here, four of them are new recordings of old songs, so just to look at the track list was a major disappointment. So the guys did this album just to showcase new singer Ronny Munroe who replaced the departed Derrick LeFevre, which is understandable. But to be honest, I really don’t see the reason for this. If you want to showcase your new singer, then record a new album instead because frankly, I don’t really see who’ll be interested in this. I mean, I’m a big Lillian Axe fan and even I am left cold over this. Maybe it’s for the hardcores and collectors.

The new songs feels more like leftovers from earlier recordings, at least to me and I don’t think I’m that far off with that assumption. Still, it’s not a bad album as such, it just feels a bit uninspired and I really can’t figure out the reason for releasing an album like this. ”47 Ways To Die” is a heavy  and dark piece and ”A Minute Of Years” is long, dark and depressing. Both are very good songs. The rest of the new tracks, the title track, ”Under The Same Moon” and ”The Quencing Of The Human Life” isn’t bad, but doesn’t really move me either. It is a disappointing album, much to the fact that I had hoped that this would be a full-blown new album. I will think of this as an intermission and hope that the guys will get back to work and deliver yet another great album.

Jon Wilmenius (4/10)

 

Tracklist:

1. Under The Same Moon
2. 47 Ways To Die
3. The Quenching Of Human Life
4. A Minute Of Years
5. Nobody Knows (acoustic)
6. The Day I Met You (acoustic)
7. Sad Day On Planet Earth (acoustic)
8. Nocturnal Symphony (acoustic)
9. Deep Red Shadows (instrumental)