UFO The Visitor
by Michael Debbage
Staff Writer
For many hardcore fans, UFO without Schenker parallels Heep without Hensley, Purple without Blackmore, and Queen without Mercury. When in truth all of the above mentioned groups have continued to produce quality material in some shape or form, the same can be said for UFO. Despite the absence of Schenker’s fluid guitar playing since 2002’s Sharks, UFO continues to run their course with very respectable material, the latest being their 20th studio recording, The Visitor.
Phil Mogg is still writing relevant material while it doesn’t hurt to have the return of founder member and drummer Andy Parker. Meanwhile, guitarist Vinnie Moore has been with UFO since 2003 with Paul Raymond rounding out the band on keyboards. Due to health concerns, bassist Pete Way is unfortunately missing in action. Nevertheless, The Visitor effectively merges the blues with their Euro-hard rock approach yet accentuated with a British swagger that has always been closely associated with the bands sound. But let’s make it very clear that The Visitor has no epics like “Rock Bottom,” “Lights Out” and to a lesser extent the Paul Chapman era “Makin’ Moves.” That said, the chugalugging of the straight ahead rocker “Helldriver’ comes close and brings back memories of 1975’s “Shoot Shoot” from the Force It album. The riff is exceptionally memorable and is equally matched by the flowing but brief solo that Moore contributes within the song structure. The toe tapping mid tempo rocker “Villains & Thieves comes a close, second, which also features the perfect embellishments of the rarely used keyboard player Paul Raymond.
Otherwise, several tracks are heavily shaded in the rough rock and roll blues such as the opening track “Saving Me” and its follow up “On The Waterfront” and even more so on “Rock Ready”. This is in complete contrast with the smoother gentle mid-tempo ballad “Forsaken” featuring Moore’s soulful guitar work that is in total syncopation with Mogg’s crooning, resulting in one of UFO’s best ballads in quite a while.
The Visitor may not have an instant appeal to it and may require repeat visits to your hi-fi player of choice but be patient as it will find its niche. Your persistence will result in discovering an album that is far from being unidentifiable with the UFO sound if you take into consideration pre-Schenker days where the blues were more prominent. From that perspective The Visitor is unlikely to alienate any fans as it is a very respectable addition to the continued legacy of UFO.
Label: SPV
Track Listing:
1. Saving Me
2. On The Waterfront
3. Helldriver
4. Stop Breaking Down
5. Rock Ready
6. Living Proof
7. Can’t Buy A Thrill
8. Forsaken
9. Villains & Thieves
10. Stranger In Town
HRH rating 7/10