Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 07:38 PM by Giorgos Tsekas
Genre: Hard Rock/Heavy Rock
Country: U.S.A.
Label: High Roller Records
Year: 2016
Vandallus would have been the talk of (every) town since the line-up is rather spectacular as some of the Cleveland’s coolest guys are featured in it, Shaun Vanek (guitar, drums, bass) and Steve Dukuslow (drums), the two thirds of the mighty Midnight (the trio is completed by Jason Vanek -vocals, guitar-). Midnight’s boss Jamie Walters also wrote a few songs for Vandallus, so it’s more than obvious that this project is at least something interesting. But unfortunately for many, Vandallus plays Heavy Rock with some hints of AOR in the vein of late 70’s/early 80’s Hard Rock. Personally speaking I don’t give a damn about genres, so as long the music has some high standards I can easily buy the album and add it to my discotheque.
“On The High Side” actually pays homage to the band members’ teenage heroes. Vandallus as we wrote above, come from Cleveland, home of many 80’s bands from Shock Paris to Destructor, so we can understand why this album is written in the first place. The whole energy and touch that the 80’s rock, a.k.a. the arena rock, has is trying here to be represented and be replicated while the whole thing is taking seriously from the band but without missing the fun out of it.
The music is well written, and the riffs sometimes are too rock ‘n roll for a Heavy Rock or AOR album, probably as Midnight aura follows whatever these guys do. The guitars are heavy enough, the lyrics rather cheesy and the vocals in a really nice level (no screams here only clean rock vocals). The album songs lack of a great chorus or a grande voice like Perry’s from Journey, but you can’t deny that there’s a lot of quality here. There’s a lot of pop elements too but the final result is decent and despite the radio friendly vibe that may disturb many of Midnight’s fanatics. Only for the open minded.
4/6
