by Alexandra Mrozowska
– Senior Columnist —
If looking back 12 months prior to date, it can be said 2014 was an intense year in melodic rock – well, to say the least! Among the multitude of releases able to both take your breath away and drain your pockets dry, many had this (in)famous super-group quality to them – from Three Lions and California Breed to Rated X. Another much-hailed top-level collaboration, signed to the hegemonic Frontiers Records similarly to the above bands, is Revolution Saints. In its early stages, the band was known as Castronovo/Blades/Aldrich project due to the three personae involved – drummer/singer Deen Castronovo (Cacophony, Bad English, Journey, Hardline, Jeff Scott Soto-fronted Soul Sirkus etc.), singer/bassist Jack Blades (Night Ranger, Damn Yankees, Shaw/Blades) and guitarist Doug Aldrich (formerly of DIO, Whitesnake and Burning Rain). With their proper band name established, the cream of guest musicians gathered and Alessandro Del Vecchio in his usual role of the guardian angel (plus a producer, a keyboard player and a songwriter), the trio is ready to announce their self-titled debut album to be released in February 2015.
From the gritty riff and the rich lead guitar work of the opening track “Back On My Trail” to the grandiose piano-based ballad “In The Name Of The Father (Fernando’s Song),” Revolution Saints is no retro-mania. It’s certainly not a nostalgia-driven kind of album that’s recycling the old ideas and well-tried formulas from the past – but there’s enough of ‘80s and early ‘90s melodic rock flavors throughout its entirety to make it a worthy 2014 equivalent of the classics of the genre.
As the adage goes, the further it goes, the better it gets. “Turn Back Time” is all feisty guitar riff balanced with the addition of the softening touch of the AOR-ish keyboards, embroidered with the catchy, melodic chorus in the best melodic rock tradition. A mid-tempo AOR piece “You’re Not Alone” comes next, featuring a guest vocal contribution from the current voice of Journey – Arnel Pineda. There’s some heavier vibe to the fourth track “Locked Out Of Paradise,” fueled by Aldrich’s trademark guitar wizardry. With “Way To The Sun,” Revolution Saints invade the ballad-esque territory again, albeit with a slight twist as the guitar parts in it are hardly mellow. The track is also exceptional for some other reasons, as it has the guitar legend Neal Schon playing a guest part alongside Jack Blades and Alessandro Del Vecchio contributing to it with their vocals.
“Dream On” is a straightforward hard rock piece driven with the pounding drum line and irresistibly catchy chorus, preceding another majestic power ballad “Don’t Walk Away” that has some Journey-like flavors to it… especially Deen’s vocal parts. Another tune that draws much from the ballad-esque sound aesthetics is “Here Forever”, albeit it gravitates towards a bit heavier sound further on. The next two tracks “Strangers To This Life” and “Better World” again highlight the infectiousness of the melody while in the background there’s also Aldrich serving handful of his manic guitar shredding against Del Vecchio’s powerful keyboards. Sound-wise, both are the worthy counterparts of the sound and style eagerly utilized by the likes of Joe Lynn Turner (especially in the latter phase of his career, Sunstorm for example). And although its title may have misled you, the eleventh track “To Mend A Broken Heart” is even more fiery than its predecessors music-wise, with its heavy, almost metal-infused groove against the catchy melody. The material is closed with the aforementioned “In The Name Of The Father (Fernando’s Song),” a tasteful ballad-esque finish to its entirety.
Revolution Saints are being dubbed “the musicianship to die for” and one of the most interesting collaborations in the recent history of rock. Guessing by their first effort, there’s neither a pomposity nor an exaggeration to such statements. Revolution Saints is, to put it simply, an instant melodic rock classic standing up to reputation of all parts involved. Much can be said about the top-level production, the drummer-turned-singer Deen Castronovo’s vocal proficiency or the predictable excellence of the instrumental section. But still, what is perhaps the album’s strongest point is the material itself, 12 songs distinguished not only by the extraordinary performance, but also by the high quality songwriting. Intertwining soaring power ballads with fiery guitar-laden tunes, all of them embroidered with perfectly crafted melodies, Revolution Saints is not only a must for all Night Ranger/Journey/Whitesnake fans. It actually goes far beyond the musicians’ collective resumes with its catchy-yet-tasteful melodies and classic hard rock flavors. And even though one can hardly predict what does the future hold in store and even though there’s still 2014 on the clock, there’s no doubt about every melodic rock aficionado including Revolution Saints in their “best of 2015” list in 12 months from now.
Genre: Melodic Hard Rock, Hard Rock
Band:
Deen Castronovo: lead vocals, drums
Jack Blades: bass, vocals (tracks 2, 5)
Doug Aldrich: guitars
Additional musicians
Alessandro Del Vecchio: keyboards, backing vocals, vocals (track 5)
Arnel Pineda – co-lead vocals (track 3)
Neal Schon – guitar solo (track 5)
Track List:
1. Back On My Trail
2. Turn Back Time
3. You’re Not Alone
4. Locked Out Of Paradise
5. Way To The Sun
6. Dream On
7. Don’t Walk Away
8. Here Forever
9. Strangers To This Life
10. Better World;
11. How To Mend A Broken Heart
12. In The Name Of The Father (Fernando’s Song)
Label: Frontiers Records
Website: https://www.facebook.com/RevolutionSaints/
Hardrock Haven rating: 9.5/10
