1990. It’s either Headbanger’s Ball on MTV or some rock show on Sky Channel, can’t remember. The VJ raved majorly about this band Heaven’s Edge and their debut single “Skin To Skin”. It was a good song but nothing out of the ordinary. I borrowed their self-titled debut from a friend and burned me a CD – and I must say I wasn’t too impressed. A decent album but way too much of a thirteen-a-dozen melodic Hard Rock/Metal affair with ok tunes. In later years, though, I hear more and more people raving about how good that album is so maybe it’s just me. They also released a follow-up in 1998 – Some Other Place, Some Other Time. I didn’t even know about that record until I started to write this. Now they’re reunited – on Frontiers, of course – and while I’m not rolling around on the floor in pure excitement I still think it’s interesting that they’re back and I will listen to this record with an open mind.
Opener and leading single “Had Enough” comes out crashing with a raunchy and rough-edged structure with a ballsy rhythm and early 90’s guitar riffage. It’s melodic but it also rocks with a nice dose of FU-attitude. The big melodies might go into Melodic Rock territory and the chorus is Arena Rock but it do rock and it’s a good one. On a slicker note, “Gone Gone, Gone” is more an 80’s pop-rocker, straight forward and live-friendly with a juicy punch. It do remind me of the more melodic moments of their debut, the stuff I liked the best on that record. It’s a groovy tune with distinct and catchy melodies and the chorus is just one big hook. Very good.
“Nothing Left But Goodbye” starts out acoustic with a Southern Rock flare in the slide but continues with a chunky rock-groove complete with staccato riffage and a bouncy rhythm. It’s a very melodic piece yet upbeat with smooth melodies and an 80’s touch where the big chorus could’ve given them a bonafide rock-hit if it was released back in the day. Very good. Latest single “What Could’ve Been” sounds like it was taken from the vaults where it’s been since 1989. It’s in mid-tempo with big Pop tendencies and a slick outlook where parts goes into power balladry and again, this could’ve been on high rotation on MTV back in the day. That said, it doesn’t sound dated by any means. Very good.
Speaking of power ballads, “When The Lights Go Down” really is one. It’s on the mellow side and is a lighter-in-the-air type Arena Rock ballad, smooth and slick with big vocals all over. The days of the late 80’s/early 90’s are revisited here and shows where the band is coming from. It’s hooky as hell with an unescapable chorus that screams hit. Should be a single. Very good. “Raise ’em Up” is a straight forward, live-friendly hard-rocker. It’s rough, down n’ dirty and comes with a crunchy and edgy riffing quite in-your-face with a refrain that will work splendidly from the stage. Good one.
On a sleazier note, the raunchy and dirty rocker “9 Lives (My Immortal Life)” kicks away rough and firey with lots of attitude and adrenaline. It’s a smoking rocker that kicks up some dust along the way. It sounds as if it’s a left-over from the debut but it’s also quite standard and middle-of-the-road. It’s an ok tune but nothing really stands out and falls into oblivion quite fast. “Dirty Little Secret” is back to late 80’s Arena Rock and although it’s one big cliché it’s also one catchy cliché. There’s a big pop-vibe involved but it also draws into a modern, rock-radio friendly vibe here and there. The chorus is gluey and has its hooks in you right from go. Pretty good, this one.
The uptempo and heavy “Beautiful Disguise” is a solid hard-rocker with a ballsy and powerful outlook yet with a good dose of pop-sensibility where the guitars rips and the beat is hard-hitting. It’s a pretty straight-lined kick-ass rocker with an edgy beat that holds a lively and busy structure, making it perfect for the stage and on top lies a striking chorus that takes the song for the win. Very good. The album closes with the gritty and electrifying sleaze-rocker “I’m Not The One”. It’s a crunchy rocker but with darker touches here and there which gives it a slightly gloomy outlook without taking the uplifting vibes away. It’s a good albeit not great tune that feels like it’s more about making an audience sweat than being a catchy piece of music – and I like that.
Without going out of the ordinary, Heaven’s Edge’s come back album is a good piece of work. They still lack originality but that’s overrated anyway – as long as you perform well and write great songs you’re alright by me. That said, it’s also this album’s biggest issue, there’s really nothing that brings out that WOW! feeling and there’s too much just another melodic Hard Rock band over them and nothing that separates them from the rest of the bunch. On the other side of the coin, this is an enjoyable record with no actual bad songs on it and quite a few really good ones, some of them even great. It won’t end up on any top-ten lists but it works just fine for the moment – and it is better than the debut.
6/10
Tracklist:
1. Had Enough
2. Gone Gone Gone
3. Nothing Left But Goodbye
4. What Could’ve Been
5. When The Lights Go Down
6. Raise ‘Em Up
7. 9 Lives (My Immortal Life)
8. Dirty Little Secret
9. Beautiful Disguise
10. I’m Not The One
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