  
Frontiers/Playground
Mat Sinner, bass and backing vocals, Alex Beyrodt, guitars, Roland Grapow, lead guitar, Russell Allen, vocals and backing vocals, Randy Black, drums, and Alessandro del Vecchio, keyboards, that line-up really leaves nothing much to ask for. At least not on paper, but there is more to chemistry than that. Add songwriters like Magnus Karlsson, Amanda Somerville and Carsten Schulz and this must be dynamite? “...super heavy – yet infectiously melodic...” the info says, but I´m not so sure about the longevity of this outfit. There´s quite a few questions so we better start...
Opener “Cry No More” comes smack in my teeth as I had so many question marks. The riff has “it”, the steam is there, the melody and the refrain. Like a kick in the groin! Next up is “Soul of a Warrior” which has the right amount of keys, the pace is like something out of BLACK SABBATH´s “Dehumanizer” but without the depression. The song is yet slightly softer, you might say this is a FOREIGNER song with a heavy attitude. But next up is the less arousing “No Turning Back” which lacks in spirit as there is really nothing out of the ordinary here. And after that comes “One Way Street” which comes across like something off a JOE LYNN TURNER solo album or DEEP PURPLE around the nineties. There is nothing wrong with those artists mentioned, JLT is a personal favourite but I didn´t see it coming here... My fondest recollections here the opener, the fast paced “Scream and Shout” and the epic power metal of “Blasphemy”...or in translation what I associate these gents with in the first place. Otherwise I might conclude with “Demonized”. The pressure is there, the vocals are heavier, the guitar work is superb – but the overall impression is ok, aha, nothing more. This is not a bad album, but the names all in all add up to more expectations than this fulfils...in my ears.
Track list
Cry No More
Soul of a Warrior
No Turning Back
One Way Street
Blasphemy
Last Man on Earth
Scream and Shout
Voice of the Wilderness
All Hope Is Gone
Demonized
The Soul Is Eternal
Forevermore
www.frontiers.it
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