House Of Mirrors' debut album '
Nightflight To Paradise' was a satisfying slice of eighties' styled commercial melodic rock.
'Desolation', the follow up, is a much harder and heavier affair, frequently crossing the line into metal territory. At least it is for the first three tracks. As with any house of mirrors, reflections can change dramatically from one step to the next. The recognisable can be bent and shaped to the point of distortion, then morphed back to normality in the blink of an eye.
That's the way it is with '
Desolation'. Initially unrecognisable as HOM, that opening trio of hulking, hard rock bruisers mutate into the familiar hooky, close harmony
AOR that we expected, with fourth track, '
Where Are You Now'. This familiarity is maintained with the more straightforward melodic rock of '
Waiting In The Wings', a strong contender for album standout.
Next up track, '
On The Red Line' throws us right back into the heavy metal/ hard rock melting pot. It is this dislocation of band and style that is at first uncomfortable and ultimately disorientating.
Maybe if this had been done like an old fashioned LP, with the more melodic material on one side and the heavier stuff on the other, we would have found it easier to swallow and digest.
The shame is that this dichotomy detracts from the quality of the music.
'Fallen Leaves' is a cracking,
Glenn Hughes styled hard rock song, with a groove and a rhythm that prove irresistible.
'Where Are You Now' is a fragile, artfully crafted
AOR song with a repetitive, aurally adhesive hook.
'Gone With The Summer' is a catchy, acoustic based pop song and
'Masquerade' an
AOR/ pomp rock gem.
Maybe the band wanted to measure the public reception to this variation in styles before deciding on future direction, or maybe they just did what the hell they wanted. Either way,
'Desolation' takes a bit of getting used to and not everybody will have the patience.
Written by
Brian Wednesday, June 21, 2006
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