Tango Down are a very consistent American rock band. This is their 5th album in 11 years, which is a pretty good recording rate. I’ve liked each album and the guys have always delivered on their brand of kick ass hard rock with splashes of more melodic AOR tunes in between the rockers.
On Bulletproof the band come out firing with one of their best rockers yet in Punching Bag. New vocalist Chas West is a favourite of mine – his voice is perfect for this material and he slides between the punchier rockers and the more melodic numbers with ease.
Which is exactly what he does with the second track Give Me A Reason, the harmony filled mid-tempo AOR track is a nice contrast from the opener.
A couple of mid-tempo rockers dominate next, the bass is a little loud in the mix on the track Carry On (same issue as with Maxx Explosion), but it’s a fine menacing tune.
When We Were Young is another mellower moment – fans of AOR with a kick will love this. It has shades of Adriangale and Def Leppard to it. I don’t have any credits, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see Jace Pawlack responsible for this tune.
I have to profess my love for the melody and chorus hook of Going Under, one of the album’s finest. But at the same time I can’t get past the drum rhythm. It doesn’t seem to fit the song at all. The verse beat seems out of step with the vocals and just doesn’t suit the melodies being carried by the vocals.
The album needed a kick ass rocker by now and Superstar delivers the goods. A nice dirty rocker.
The tempo dips again immediately after for the moody ballad Edge of Goodbye – which is quite superb. A killer chorus and some pristine vocals. A hit single in any other decade.
Back to a fast tempo on the not too heavy Anything Can Change which offers something different than the heavier rockers.
The album closes as it began, with a nice high energy, gritty rocker in Broken Heart.
Overall, the songwriting on this album is probably the best of any Tango Down album. The vocals are unquestionably the best and you can’t argue with the riffing either.
It’s a very good slice of American melodic hard rock featuring Scott Miller, one of the scene’s most underrated shredders.
The only issue I have with anything is perhaps the sequencing of songs and bits and pieces in the production. But overall, I highly recommend! Well done lads.
