  
Escape Music/Sound Pollution
GARY JOHN BARDEN has an ongoing long career in hard rock. Most will recognize him as the voice of MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, but he has also collaborated with GARY MOORE, fronted STATETROOPER and PRAYING MANTIS, formed SILVER, plus released quite a few solo efforts. This time he goes solo again, amidst all the MSG activities. Not alone, but in close co-operation with Michael Voss of e.g. MAD MAX. A highlight is promised, tough one, concerning the fantastic new albums by SHY and CHRIS OUSEY on the same label.
Gary opens with the aircraft sounds of “Baghdad”. It is heavier than I thought, but the refrain works and the opening is very ok. The cozier tracks like the slightly far east-inspired “Fallen By the Wayside” and the exact voice-match “What Do You Wanna Do” enhance Gary´s odds of delivering. But after “All In” I have my doubts. Gary has been accused of singing out of tune in the past, which I mostly disagree of, but in “All In” something is not right. The song material seems to go slightly downhill at that point too, with some a tad more mellow tracks to follow. The somewhat DIO-reminiscent and majestic “Before the Eyes of the World” shows Gary returning to form, and his GARY MORE collaboration “Don´t Take Me for a Loser” is one of the best ever. I wished for a full-hit and got a mixed bag. Gary is a very pleasant person and a legend in British hard rock. But this album could have done with a few sharper songs, he has been involved in creating monster hits you know…
Track List
Baghdad
Fallen by the Wayside
Child of Sorrow
What You Wanna Do
We Are Dead
All In
Blackmail
Shine a Light on Me
Easy Does It
Before the Eyes of the World
Don´t Take Me for a Loser
www.escape-music.com
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