Steve
Overland's voice is like a revelation. It's this shining angel rising above the murky waters below and unfurling its splendor in a manner in which no one would dare not take notice. Butter smooth relaxing, rich beyond decadent, his performance sends thrills down the spine and takes a great weight off of a heavy hardened heart. The music lying underneath is mossy and modern. Guitar riffs are downtuned slabs of hard rock, drum beats loop relentlessly, bass rumbles but makes no effort at any kind of resounding presence. This is all dark washed under the modern-esque banner, an attempt to "update" The Ladder's sound but keeping its head above the commercial waters, still breathing the
AOR enriched air. Those wicked waters threaten to lose it in the undertow.
This second album is not the "Miracle" that was like the one before. Its a changed beast, markedly so with the absence of fretburner Vinnie Burns. Gerhard Pichler has taken his place but not totally filled his shoes. "Future Miracles" may have been riddled with older material but it had class and was memorable for its familiarity. Being composed of lost
FM songs didn't hurt, but The Ladder's second foray is all new material and perhaps that is why it seems to fail on some levels yet excel in others. A paradox of an album that you love to hate, and hate to love. By being so estranged from the debut, and stealing away with a too-modern sound, you crave the
Overland of old but are oddly attracted by this fresh packaging of the voice, and of the
AOR sound. Its as if the phoenix rose, as was anticipated, but came cresting over the horizon in feathers of an entirely different colour. Still blazing, resplendent for what it is, wafting smoke and raging fire, but not at all the same. Some may be resistant to this Ladder transformation. Think for a moment though, sometimes change is good, and its undeniable that this album comes across as being entirely born anew. There is little here that is stagnant or caught in that never-ending hamster wheel run.
Fans of Steve
Overland will come away from
"Sacred" giddy with fond memories no doubt. The grooves are slick and lovely such as on the opener
"Body & Soul". An uptempo rocker that has immediate appeal, this one showcases the pipes of the lead while introducing the variant on the six string's sound. Its a refresher course in The Ladder's past while rushing straight ahead into the future. There's the rising and falling frothy tides carrying the listener away on the
"Sea of Love". Bluesy and Joe Lynn Turner-esque in the title track
"Sacred", where contemporary meets
AOR in an unexpected but rather pleasant turn of events. beautiful and translucent for the warming
"Something to Believe In".
Overland's voice here is luxuriant and gorgeous like the finest crushed velvet, wet and shining from exposure to a recent rain.
"Abandoned" is all big melodies and acoustic flourishes. Simple in execution, yet sporting commercial friendly layers and an all encompassing pop sensibility. Darkly promising and prophetic for
"Make a Wish" where the night becomes a dark blue/black moody soup with snippets of light peeking out in the form of a melody enriched chorus.
"All of My Life" is fresh and a bit funky, a giant chorus smashing down with assured melodic force and flair.
"Run To You" finds time changes in its favor, sweet pop verses slink by unassumingly and are whisked into a whirlwind for a twirling bridge that leads to an upper of a chorus.
"Here I Am" opens the door. Throws it wide open, leaving the slab of wood hanging on its hinges, as a declaration for the return of love and also, the return of the true and pure
AOR sound. That presence in another's life that was gone, and is now shouting its return from the rooftops. Saccharine, poppy, laid-back except for those excitable surges and completely delicious.
Two songs sit on the disc like the crippled sheep in an otherwise healthy and robust herd. They lag behind the others in quality and are walking bullseyes for ridicule. Their redemption is little to nonexistant, as these two tracks are overly content at being average.
"Mean Streets" builds and experiments with both sound and vibe, the results being mixed and unsteady. Like a gangly baby animal trying its hooves at first steps, the track seems clumsy and falling over its own feet, and maybe tripping on its own self importance. A lean, no nonsense rocker, that strives to be more, yet cannot seem to hit the ground running with any grace whatsoever.
"Believe In Me" mirrors many other songs and takes no identity of its own. Content to stare at its own reflection and push no boundaries in bettering itself beyond a mere average. Uptempo, but boring.
The Ladder's
"Sacred" is a vain album. Its a preening rock peacock self-aware of its own importance. The players *know* that the songs do not necessarily have to strive for greatness to become beloved. Steve
Overland's voice will carry them - sink or swim, fly or die - mostly without fail. It hides the average behind its shadow play of smoke and mirrors, smooths over the awkward by being brilliant and tricks beast into seeming like a beauty. The Ladder's music is a solid array of uptempo
AOR pieces that are never more than middle of the road.
But... that voice. That voice is enough. Therefore
"Sacred" is more than the sum of its parts, more than just a few memorable tracks. It's an album of vocal decadence. The songs exist to support that approach, and as structures to showcase that, it exceeds nicely. A recommended disc for fans of
FM,
Overland and even
AOR in general. Fans can also rest easy knowing that as an album, it completely overshadows the bumbling blunder of boredom that was the last
Shadowman release. The songs won't blow your mind here either, but don't risk putting the audience to sleep.
Overland's voice will keep you so wrapped up in its own delirious delights that the average nature of the tracks likely won't be noticeable. Yes, he's that hypnotizing.
Written by
Alanna Friday, May 11, 2007
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