Terry Brock is a great singer, and this
"Diamond Blue" has enough great songs to make it a solid recommendation for any
AOR fan. A few too many ballads keeps it from achieving classic status, but a handful of the others will keep you coming back for more. Guitarist and producer Mike
Slamer is on hand to put the finishing ultra shine on the album.
This thing sparkles like diamonds, as it has been glossed up by
Slamer until you can see your reflection in it practically. This is slightly different from the
Slamer/Brock collaboration album that came before, and it makes you wonder why
Slamer didn't want his name on this one as well. It is certainly worth taking due credit for. If the voice sounds familiar, but the name perhaps not... he was recently heard as the new vocalist for
Giant on their 2010 "Promised Land" album and is pegged for a new
Strangeways disc (the band that put him on the map in the 80s has returned).
Slamer is just well known, period, handling the guitars, bass and keyboard with Andy Bigan being the timekeeper.
The opener and album title
"Diamond Blue" just has that fabulous carefree, summertime feeling going for it. Besides a few lead in pieces here and there which hanker down into a darker melodic purr, which makes the sunshine chorus feel even brighter. Needing another shot of
AOR?
"It's You" delivers the upbeat
AOR straight-up with a few frills to make it stand out. Hit the ground running, instant melodic rock. If there was microwaveable, instantly consumable
AOR like there is nukeable frozen food, and "instant" coffee, this would be the musical equivelant.
"Jessie's Gone" is pure
AOR wrapped up in sugar sweetness, spouting cupcakes and shooting fuschia hearts. The chorus is way too happy for the pain hinted at being involved, but who cares? The song is so saccharine addictive that the inappropriate gleeful candy-high feel is forgiven.
"Broken" is the album's darling highlight. It is the center of the hurricane that everything else twists around. A dynamite exploding hard rock track that grabs you from the beginning and just holds on, as well written melodic music tends to do. The guitars are growling and gritty when they aren't slamming like lightning. Brocks' lovely inflections give the song more texture and emotion.
"Face in the Crowd" is upbeat and breezes by on lighter clouds, a nice middle section between the moodier bits.
"Why" has a slight moody bent to it. You can feel the underlying confusion over the trust issue as a second layer of depth under the song. Vocals are silken smooth and the song flows like hot metal.
Ballads include the pitter patter of
"Rain" and the depressing
"Soldier Falls", about a widow broken hearted over her love's death. It has a third person feel to it, and doesn't trap you into the horror first person style, as other bands have done. This is like watching some drama put to music.
"Face the Night" follows it, tripping the album off balance as it is yet another ballad. Lots of piano and organic feeling in this one.
The uptempo stuff is gorgeous
AOR, crafted by a master into perfection. The ballads are lacking a little something, and milk emotions predictably. Sad and sappy, absolutely, but lacking the gut wrenching drama that makes a slower song into a memorable epic. They tried a bit too hard on
"Soldier Falls", but it is too blunt to be personally involving. Overall however, the duo of Mike
Slamer and
Terry Brock have cranked out an
AOR album that is pure gravy and will likely be adored by anyone into the genre.
"Broken" is enough to win anyone over.
Written by
Alanna Wednesday, September 22, 2010
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