  
Frontiers/BAM
One intact band since the eighties, at least since the unfortunate Pat Torpey can sing background vocals with them, as he has recently been diagnosed with Parkinson´s. The line up remains from now; Eric Martin, vocals, Paul Gilbert, guitars, Billy Sheehan, bass, and Pat on background vocals. The drum position remains unclear, with ACE FREHLEY drummer Matt Star filling in for the tour being. This is studio album number eight, and the second since they reunited in 2009. With such reunion albums one can only hope that Pat can remain in the band.
Opener “Gotta Love the Ride” is rockier than most on the album, and a fine way to start out. A great refrain sets the mood for things to come. I dare call this mature and classy rock, as “I Forget to Breathe” and the light but groovy “Fragile” pass by. They do everything with an effortless haute couture that might not be associated with hard rock, but still they keep themselves on the right side of things with endless groves and the fabulous guitar work of Paul Gilbert. The bass opening of “Satisfied” says a lot about Bill´s capacity but he is at times too arty for his own good. Not here though. I really must mention “The Monster in Me” which has a lot of guitar infused, and professional grooves, and a lot f refrain. Somehow they just keep them coming... But for some reason they keep the best for the latter half of the album. The intensely bluesy “The Light of Day”, the sensitive magnitude of “Just Let Your Heart Decide”, the sheer rock nobility of “It´s Always About that Girl” and the title track complete with a live feeling and slightly harder vocals. Call me soft but I´m hooked on this one!
Track list
Gotta Love the Ride
I Forget to Breathe
Fragile
Satisfied
The Man Who Has Everything
The Monster in Me
What If We Were New
Eastwest
The Light of Day
Just Let Your Heart Decide
It´s Always About that Girl
Cinderella Smile
The Stories We Could Tell
www.frontiers.it www.mrbigsite.com
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