The guitar work which will bring most people to the album doesn't fail to deliver and the songs are quality.
I confess I don't know much about Chris Caffery despite his "day jobs" in Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra; he falls in to that huge "so much music, so little time to listen to it all" category, so it's nice to come to something fresh with no prior expectation.
Opener 'Your Heaven Is Real' starts of gently and grinds to the finish in soaring runs and frenetic drumming from Brian Tichy (always a pleasure). 'Arm And A Leg' is a kind of Hammer House Of Horror track, it felt like it needed a voice over from Vincent Price although Caffery is suitably sinister, the guitar is filthy and driving although for the me the melody was a little "done". 'Just Fine' has Randy Rhoads-esque chops and could have come from the Blizzard Of Oz studio floor. The pace slows down for 'Why' a meandering slightly Prog ballad. 'Damned If You Do, Dead If You Don't' is a theatrical riff driven song.
I like the groove and soar of the instrumental 'Hot Wheelz'. We get gloomy and Doomy with the huge 'I Never Knew' whilst 'Sick And Tired' has an effortless 21st century groove with a 20th century style vocal. 'Death By Design' is epic, Doomy riffs, screaming vocal and solo licks doing no more and no less than the song requires; once again it would raise up with another vocalist, possibly Bruce Dickinson. That's not to take it away from Caffery's voice, it's definitely fit for purpose, it's just some of the songs could become classics with a legendary voice.
'2.26.15' (presumably he couldn't think of a title) is a sweet little acoustic interlude, a little like finding fairies living among the giants and the dwarves. 'Too Soon To Be Too Late' has a cool groove and a touch of The Moody Blues about the melody. The penultimate 'Over And Over' is another with that has vibe of classy 1970's Rock Opera and Caffery fairly successfully channels his inner Dan McCafferty.
Bowing out with 'Come Home' and Caffery delivers a rather fine album. The guitar work which will bring most people to the album doesn't fail to deliver and the songs are quality. For me it was a nice introduction to an artist I've not really heard before. My only "personal" opinion is that sometimes when you have a talented musician with a half decent voice doing a solo album, there is a temptation to keep it "solo" and do all the vocals yourself. On this album however I just felt that some legendary vocal guests would have elevated this to a potentially classic album.
Helen Bradley Owers