If you like eighties style AOR / Hard Rock, then this really is essential.
There’s been an abundance of bands reliving the glory days of the eighties, and in my opinion that’s no bad thing, as it makes it seem as if Grunge never happened. The latest to appear are White Widdow from Melbourne, Australia. With absolutely no concerns at all about following modern rock trends, they have produced an absolute corker of an album influenced by some of the biggest bands of the eighties, and just a touch of early nineties too. Check this list out for some reference points; Survivor, Asia, Journey, Winger, House Of Lords, White Sister, Europe, Treat, Tyketto, Giant, Danger Danger, Bon Jovi, Dokken…just a few in there you like? Mmm, thought so…
Everywhere you look the guitars of Enzo Almanzi and the keyboards of Xavier Millis vie for attention, pushing each other all the way, but not outdoing each other, and vocalist Jules Mephisto has a great set of pipes, a blend of Warrant’s Jani Lane and Chandler Mogel from Outloud / Talon. But it’s not just the influences and performances that are important here, the songs are pretty damn good too. Yes it’s not exactly an original sound, but it’s done so well it really doesn’t matter. Myself being a huge Tyketto fan I was quick to notice that ‘Broken Hearts Don’t Last Forever’ sounded a LOT like ‘Wings’ – then the following ‘How Far I Run’ includes the lyric “got the wings to fly”, but both are enormous hook-filled anthems so I’ll forgive them. Elsewhere killer opening track ‘Tokyo Rain’ has an intro that Giant’s Dann Huff would be proud of, and the likes of ‘Cross To Bear’ and ‘Spirit Of Fire’ and ‘One More Day’ are also straight out of the Desmond Child book of potential hit singles. There’s only one out and out ballad in the shape of the brilliant ‘Shadows Of Love’, but the mid-tempo ‘Don’t Fail Me Now’ also eases back on the power and is even better.
I don’t often use the ‘E’ word, but if you like eighties style AOR / Hard Rock, then this really is Essential. White Widdow for Firefest 2011 anyone?
Ant Heeks
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