Kee Marcello's K2 "Melon Demon Divine" is another "classic" rocker gone modern record that I love to dread. These things usually turn out rather badly, as passive fans want something more true to previous form (in this case, they likely hope for something more like
Europe), the die-hards defend it until the very end, and everyone else that already grazes the pop charts for their latest music love could care less about a rather obscure guitarist and his "nu" sound. Glen Burtnik's attempt at this was rather shoddy and all over the place, but luckily Kee has a knack for crisp melodies and acknowledges that you need more than just his presence to get the listeners fired up. You need good song structures too, and while he indulges in modern-esque quirks, even the most repellent song has its redeeming qualities as well.
"Enemies" is just a damn good song, solid vocals and a killer chorus. The rap-rock vocals in the verses are a bit off putting but actually work within this context. Kee's guitar sound is wicked deep, making it feel heavy hearted, and the lighter chorus is just the perfect addition to the festivities.
"Blood" is one of the most melodic tracks on the album, with some rather saccharine lyrics (or seemingly so) and a low-key feel. The vocals are off the mark a tad, being intentionally on the sloppy side for that "modern" touch, but is a nice song overall.
"Raptor" melds whiny overdrawn vocals with scratching, warped psychedelic effects and rapid-fire off key shouting against a background of murky guitars, it's a mishmash nightmare of the worst of whatever they are calling rock music nowadays. But then the guitar creeps in and sweeps you off your feet, with this gothic atmosphere that conjures images of Transylvania and a member of the Belmont clan chain whipping Dracula back into his coffin again (Castlevania music video game reference alert!). This one experiments with many styles and structures, winding its way through various incarnations and keeps you wondering what exactly will happen next, all the while the axe growling menacingly with a dark devastating tone. This surely isn't
Europe, that's for certain, and while the description may make it sound like the best thing since sliced bread, its really just those brief gothic moments that make it worthwhile. That scratchy, whiny bit is just overdone and too annoying for total redemption.
Good Lord. now if only EVERY song on the album was like this, yet of course that's the traditional melodic rock lover in me speaking, but is this song ever wonderful.
We are talking about
"Hey Romeo" which is pretty much a cross between
Europe and
Bon Jovi with Kee belting out some luscious poofy haired rock star singer type vocals all 80s style and waves of anthemic sound crashing down just dripped in melody. His guitar efforts are sticky sweet as well, and the bridge just takes the breath away with the intense dramatic drumming before exploding into another round with that lovely chorus. This one sounds even more impressive when thrown at you in the midst of all this chaos that surrounds it.
"Evil Ways" is what follows
"Hey Romeo" and is a disappointment to say the least. It's back to the heavy grind, and the near shouting of "Change, change my evil ways" becomes grating. Again Kee tries to cross the boundaries and appease the skeptics with some delicious riffage, but is it too little too late?
And what the. is this?
"Tattoo for Patto" is a blues drenched rocker that sounds more suited for Kenny Wayne Shephard than K2 from what we've sampled so far. The vibe is cool however, and the guitars are the sheer focus on this song, which are again, enchanting enough to distract most anyone. At times it seems to reflect Reb Beach's work outside of
Winger in the tone's flavor.
"Comin' Home" clashes the heavy-esque guitars against a rock solid chorus that evokes the spirit of the 80s power ballad, and throws some memorable hooks in there along the way. It is like a war between worlds with
AOR winning out in the end, the down tuned guitars giving up and leaving it alone. An interesting setup concept-wise and worth a replay or two.
"Ride On" resurrects the classic sound again for a glorious ending that goes wild with synth and guitars feeling very plush and over the top, just as good clean melodic rock should. Sure there are twists and quirks in here too but it adds to the charm rather than detract. A perfect example of ripping music right out of the 80s and brushing it with the styles of today instead of flogging it to death like a musical sacrifice.
And quickly the songs not touched upon in detail include those from the first half: the crushing instrumental opener
"Pre-Fix", the crushing callous
"E.M.D." (ominously stands for "Everyone
Must Die" with its creamy confection guitar hero center, the casual wandering riffage of
"Epic" offsetting some dreadfully sloppy vocals - Kee's not even trying here, giving it that scruffy pop ballad feel.
The middle sees
"If" with its chameleon like changes, but an overall 'blah' feeling that just can't be shaken despite it all, and
"Falling Apart" that would do just that except for. if you haven't already guessed, the guitar. Again, it kicks in just to save the song from dying the death of the forgotten. I can't say whether I would revisit it for the licks alone, but the six strings keep it from being just filler, which in reality is all that it is.
And there's two more tracks as bonuses for your amusement to close the album out. An instrumental version of
"Raptor" from a movie I have never heard of called Blood Shot, and Tennis Masters Cup Official theme song
"Can I B the 1" co-written with a tennis player. A duo that's nice to have, in a collector's sense, but far from essential.
Kee Marcello has covered a lot of ground with his K2 project here, but the core vibe of the album remains no matter what style he's gunning for. It is this anchoring feel, and the knack for knowing where to stick a killer guitar riff before your key audience starts wandering off in search of their latter day
Europe discs, that manages to keep the album afloat, and feeling solid and consistent. Plus it doesn't hurt that they threw a little bit in here for almost everyone to boot. So if you can't stand the modern and devilishly heavy
"E.M.D." then try some
"Ride On" or
"Hey Romeo" to soothe your woes.
While the album is definitely not my cup of tea and would truthfully not be something I would have searched out on my own, there's a lot here to like and can honestly state that "Melon Demon Divine" is something I would partake of again in bits and pieces in the future, but still there is that yearn for the days of Kee in
Easy Action or
Europe's "Prisoners in Paradise". If that's what you came looking for, then search elsewhere, because this will mostly disappoint tragically. A good modern hard rock record it is, that even those that usually can't stomach that sort of thing can appreciate, but a classic
AOR flavored hard rock album it is definitely not.
Written by
Alanna Wednesday, October 13, 2004
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