You can see what Producers/ co-writers Desmond Child and James Michael were aiming for right from the opening track.
A '
Face The Heat' for the post grunge generation.
Unfortunately neither have Bruce Fairbairn's touch or feel for the organics of producing.
Great tunes, great sonics and great performances, especially from Meine, who sounds positively reborn here, do not a great album make.
The riffy, hard 'n'heavy widescreen approach flatters to deceive. The production values are impressive and indeed seductive, but ultimately, much of
'Humanity' comes over as cold, calculated and perhaps even ill conceived.
It's also a high concept affair. The songs' lyrics describe a dystopian near future and mankind's eventual salvation -
'The Future Never Dies'. This is one of a handful of songs that just about break free of Child/Michael's icy grip, with the piano instead of guitars adding much needed warmth to a huge ballad with a fabulous melody and an adrenalin pumping hook, written by a cast of thousands.
And that's one of the hallmarks of '
Humanity'. Apart from Child, we have hired guns, John 5, Eric Bazilian, Andreas Carlsson and Marti Frederiksen all contributing, with the band co-writing on a few. So, let's face it, the album should be heavy with hooks and chock full of melody. And, to be honest, it is.
It's just so bloody manipulative. The rock version of the Westlife approach.
On the upside, others in that handful include
'Your Last Song'. Structured around acoustic guitars, it completely breaks out of that sterile, Pentium hearted sound heard on previous tracks. As do '
Love Is War' and '
The Cross'. Yes, the guitars are cranked up into electric action but they stop way short of the hardfaced, contemporary rock harshness heard earlier. These songs lack immediacy, but they grow rapidly into huge attractions, full of warmth, full of energy.
As these songs come later in the album, the change in atmosphere could well be part of the album's thematical transition. From the bleak, stunted social landscape of the modern world to a spiritually enlightened future. Or maybe it's just coincidence.
One way or the other, if there's to be a next album, let's hope their heart rules their heads.
Written by
Brian Monday, August 13, 2007
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