There’s a difference between a project and a project. When it comes to all the 1000-a-dozen projects from Frontiers it usually means that the label’s stable of song writers comes up with songs and then musicians, mostly it’s just a known singer, are hired and off they go. Those projects has gotten old by now and most of them pretty much sounds the same. Then there are the few that actually works like a band where the members plays and writes. Iconic is the latter. Sure the band – vocalist Nathan James (Inglorious), guitarists Joel Hoeckstra (Whitesnake, Trans Siberian Orchestra, Cher) and Michael Sweet (Stryper), bassist Marco Mendoza (Dead Daisies, Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy), drummer Tommy Aldridge (Whitesnake, Ozzy) – was brought together by the label but the whole approach here is the band outlook.
Ok, so label go-to-guy Alessandro Del Vecchio is involved here as well. He co-produced the album with Sweet, he plays keyboards and he co-wrote the songs together with Sweet and Hoeckstra with James holding co-writes on only two songs. But. These are co-writes with band members which means it won’t be the usual Frontiers project brand on the tunes. For me personally this is a project I really looked forward to sinking my teeth into. I mean, just look at those names – we’re talking top-players and writers here. Also, with Sweet being involved in so many projects besides Stryper as a singer it’s really cool that he’s a guitarist foremost on this album even though he sings the odd lead vocal line here and there.
The album opens with the second single, a rocker called “Run (As Fast As You Can)”. It’s an upbeat and crunchy tune yet obviously influenced by 80’s Whitesnake with little twists of AOR in the melody-arrangements. On a muscular rhythm the song also brings on some mean riffage that leans toward classic Metal and the twin lead vocals between James and Sweet brings on a dynamic contrast. The chorus is delicious with a whole bunch of hooks and a direct catchiness that strikes hard and effective without going pop-slick on us at all. It’s a brilliant track that sets the bar high for the rest of the album.
“Ready For Your Love” is a bouncy, crunchy and gritty rocker that holds some blues-edgy riffing and comes off as Whitesnake’s “Give Me All Your Love”‘s distant cousin. The template here seems to be said band’s 1987 album when it comes to the sonics and the Melodic Rock flirtatious melodies. It’s live friendly and distinct with a big refrain that sticks like glue. Great stuff. The title-track is a heavy rocker, raw and punchy with some fat guitar riffing. The verses are rougher and fast-tracked on a ballsy ground with a distinct, concise and in-your-face chorus. It’s an high-octane arena-rocker where James and Sweet again shares the vocals and the held-back mid-passage only brings up the dynamics. This is awesome.
“All I Need” is a slow-burner, a kind of a heavier take on a ballad. More a powerful ballad than actual power ballad, the song do sport some 80’s sounding melodies and poppier moments – and the chorus is a one of those stunning hook-crunchers that would have shipped this record millions back in the day. I’m a sucker for this type of stuff so I put both of my thumbs up and smile. With some sharp edged, metal-fueled guitar riffs, “Nowhere To Run” blasts away on straight forward rhythm like Whitesnake’s Slip Of The Tongue (1989) had a baby with Stryper’s Against The Law (1990). Mendoza/Aldridge brings on a thunderous groove and the chorus hits like a rock – no wonder they chose this a single. Great tune.
“Worlds Apart” is a bluesy power ballad that has melodic Hard Rock of 1990 written all over it. Whitesnake, Slaughter, Warrant and Stryper has been put in a blender where James’ vocals gives the tune a bit more personality. The verses holds a more toned rhythm with laid-back vocal-melodies – not a far cry from Whitesnake’s “Is This Love” and the chorus is just a monster – powerful and catchy as damn. Great tune. “All About” is a meaty and beefy hard-rocker with a big classic 80’s Hard Rock vibe. It’s crunchy and fat with crispy and earthy riffing and a chunky live-feel and the chorus might just be that chorus Nathan James forgot to put on an Inglorious album. I dig.
The very pop oriented “This Way” takes me back to 1989 both in sound and structure. It’s bigger on keyboards and it presents a larger slickness especially when it comes to the smooth AOR-laden vocal melodies. The whole tune oozes of catchiness both in verse and refrain and back in the late 80’s this would’ve been the obvious leading single with its infectious chorus. It’s a really good song but also the most mainstream tune on the album. “Let You Go” is an uptempo power ballad where the verses hold a faster pace than the refrain. It’s a hooky number albeit a bit sugary and the tune that sounds the most “Frontiers-project” on the album. I like it but it’s not as strong as the rest.
On the other side of the road we find the grittier and raunchier “It Ain’t Over”, a metal-tinged rocker that throws in both 70’s classic Hard Rock and early 80’s melodies. It’s a raspy hard-rocker, rhythmic and kicking with in-your-face verses that are pretty gut-punching and a slower and more intense chorus with an instant hook, catchy as hell without going hit-searching one tiny bit. Killer stuff. Closing track “Enough Of Your Love” is a blues-fueled and raw Classic Rock stomper where the Whitesnake influence comes in again as it makes me think of a faster paced “Crying In The Rain”. It’s a powerhouse hard-rocker right in Nathan James’ wheelhouse as it sports a big Inglorious touch as well. A great closer and a song perfect for the stage.
Before writing this off as just another Frontiers project album, give this record a fair shot because this isn’t only a damn good record, it also sounds like a real band. Musically, the album holds a big 80’s Hard Rock vibe and the 1987 and forward Whitesnake influence is all over the record. That said, this is a classic Hard Rock sounding record based on guitars, drums, bass and vocals with the keyboards more in the background – AOR this is not. I hope this is not a one-off – I’d love to see this band/project live and my imagination is running wild when I think of just how cool it could turn out if the five of them would enter the studio, both writing and recording as a real band the next time around.
8/10
Tracklist:
1. Run (As Fast As You Can)
2. Ready For Your Love
3. Second Skin
4. All I Need
5. Nowhere To Run
6. Worlds Apart
7. All About
8. This Way
9. Let You Go
10. It Ain’t Over
11. Enough Of Your Love
CD & Festival reviews 