Myland : Light of a New Day
by Franco Cerchiari
Staff Writer
It can be argued that a band willing to take chances with their sound and stretching the boundaries of what it is they are most known for, can be a good thing. Italy’s Myland travels a different path with their latest offering, Light of a New Day. In comparison to their previous release, 2008’s No Man’s Land, gone is the melodic AOR feel, the falsetto high pitched vocal style of previous vocalist Guido Priori has been replaced by the gravely, deeper styling of new front man Franco Campanella, (think Bryan Adams,) who sadly doesn’t have the strongest of vocals, passion, and to be blunt, isn’t the finest vocalist that comes to mind. Gone too are the lush, melodic guitars in favor of harder edged solos and power chords. But what has remained are the vocal harmonies, the keyboards and the outstanding drums of band founder Paul Morbini.
The “new” Myland starts things off with “Living in the Magic,” that does offer strong keyboards, solid guitar chords, that while during the chorus, the vocals from the background come across as strong, during the verses, the same fail at times. However of note, is the mid track guitar solo. Not the strongest tracks, comes the mid temp “Never Care for the Future,“ with a lackluster run in its delivery and the band left on track layers of various musical instruments and voices that at times failed to mesh. It meandered with the band trying too hard with a track that failed to hit the mark. And really, never goes anywhere.
“Flying High,” a ballad of sorts fares much better with a true melodic hard rock vibe, and the thumping bass adds a great touch. A soft piano opens the ballad, “In Your Eyes,” with a great accompaniment of the vocals. One can picture lighters being held high overhead as this track is played live. It can be wondered, that if here, the higher vocals of original vocalist Priori might have better suited this track, as his voice would have soared high and above the music, as Campanella seems to be outside of his comfort zone in the higher octaves. Things get back on a smoother path with “Dancing in the Moonlight.”
A band that is willing to take chances with their sound can be viewed as adventurous and can be looked at as one who has proven themselves as comfortable enough with their skills to take such chances and risks. But then what is heard must come across as strong and the players of the band strong enough to pull those changes together. Each band member must lend to the tracks and the CD as a whole a sound that shows a cohesiveness. While Myland does have some strong talent, and a few of the tracks stand out on their own, what comes quickly evident is that these tracks, that while individually showcase a degree of finesse from the musicians are lackluster in their delivery and thereby the entire feel of the completed CD is brought down.
True melodic hard rock has a “punch,” a feel that is strong, loud and a sound that fills each spot of each track — a pounding in your soul so to speak. But yet the music is tuneful with rousing chorus, brought to life with over the top, soaring choruses, with music and voices all coming together beautifully. “Light of a New Day,” was an apt title for the Myland heard here, but the feel was off. So sadly here is a CD that could have been so much better. And on top of that, the vocals, the heartless songwriting made this a CD that could have been so much better.
“Never Stop Screaming Rock,” was the CD highlight, and this was indeed melodic hard rock. A great rousing chorus, keyboards that fit right in, and power chords that drove this track forward. The same can be said for “Shattered Dreams.”
While it isn’t always fair to compare one release to the one previous to it, Light of a New Day just didn’t have the feel and passion of No Man’s Land. And with the talents of the members of Myland, this particular outing wasn’t the best this great band could do.
Genre – Melodic Hard Rock
Musicians:
Paul Morbini – drums
Hox Martino – guitars
Fabian Andrechen – bass
David I – keyboards
Franco Campanella – vocals
Track Listing:
Living in the Magic
Love Hurts So Bad
Never Care For the Future
Flying High
In Your Eyes
Dancing in the Moonlight
Never Stop Screaming Rock
Hey You
Shattered Dreams
Fire Burn Desire
Wherever You Go
Stand Up Tonight
Label: Point Music
Hardrock Haven Rating: 6.8/10