George Lynch, Jeff Pilson, Mick Brown, and Robert Mason - it should be a slam dunk, home run, guaranteed hard rock monster right? Well not in this case.
Straddling a line between classic and modern rock, the album sounds sonically great and you can't argue that the performances of the critically acclaimed personnel isn't to their usual high standard. But why is the album stuck in a nowhere zone?
For me its the songs. They just aren't there. I'm not finding any compelling reason to come back to the album once it's finished playing. I think Robert Mason is a powerful singer, but I've never warmed to any album he's been involved in. For example, the second Lynch Mob album he fronted was a huge let down after the classic debut. I think he sings great, but without the necessary personality to own any project he's fronting.
The emphasis on down tuned guitars and that modern hard rock sound leaves me cold and the similar mid-tempo pacing throughout keeps me reaching for the skip button.
I was hoping there would be a more Dokken or even Lynch Mob flavored sound here or at least some kind of personality, and while there are hints of both, neither takes hold. For me it is just another modern American hard rock album in a pool of too many other similar projects. They guys needed better songs and more personality.
