This
is the first solo-album from Symphony X's vocalist Russell Allen,
not that this album has very much in common with his main band. But
don't let that scare you off, because this is a very good rock
album, which really showcases just how great and versatile a singer
Russell Allen is!
I
consider this his homage to his musical roots, and you'll soon
discover, that he has his roots in the big hard rock bands from the
70's - Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Rainbow. So this can be
described as classic hard rock with a touch of blues, I would call
it: "good old school hard rock"!
Russell
Allen has composed and arranged the entire album, he plays a lot of
the guitars and bass parts, has laid down some of the keyboard-parts
as well. The album was recorded at "The Dungeon" (Symphony
X's own studio) with Russell Allen at the helm. But it's not like he
has done everything by himself - Mike Pinella and Michael Romeo have
given their band mate a helping hand, Jens Johansson contribute with
the keyboards on the title track and Bruce Nelson plays the drums on
this very well produced album.
If
you are looking for some straight ahead rock songs, then take a
listen to "Blackout" or "Voodoo Hand", on the
other hand if you are looking for some melodic and bluesy moments,
then take a listen to "Angel" (cool lead guitar) or "The
Distance" (nice ballad). My personal favourite is also the
longest song on the album "We Will Fly", a great song of
epic proportions!
Russell
Allen shows on all 11 tracks, that he is not just a power vocalist,
but also a singer with a lot of heart and soul. I am sure this album
will surprise many Symphony X fans, but do give it a chance, because
this is a very cool album! |
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| Link: www.symphonyx.com | ||||||
