by Alexandra Mrozowska
— Sr. Columnist —
Think about the Hard Rock singers with an impressively lengthy resume and David Reece will surely be one of the first names that come to your mind. Accept, Bangalore Choir, Gypsy Rose, Reece/Kronlund, EZ Livin’, Bonfire… and now Sainted Sinners.
Reece’s most current partner in crime is his former bandmate from his short yet impressive stint in Bonfire, Frank Pané. Joining them are Malte Frederik Burkert on bass and Berci Hirleman on drums, both having earned their chops in the widely acclaimed Deep Purple tribute band Purpendicular. With such musicians on board as well as their clearly Whitesnake-ish moniker, Sainted Sinners couldn’t have possibly denied their classic Hard Rock roots and they have no desire for doing so. The ensemble’s second album Back With A Vengeance, coming close on the heels of last year’s self-titled debut, is another proof of that.
Back With A Vengeance is largely based on uptempo rockers, the keyboards slightly less prominent than on the band’s debut album and thus relegated to the background. This results in a bit more rough sound in comparison with Sainted Sinners, gravitating more towards the likes of modern-day Whitesnake. Purple-esque formula, therefore, becomes somewhat abandoned, “Pretty Little Lies” and “Gone But Not Forgotten” being obvious exceptions to this. Rich guitar work is what remains in the foreground, be it chugging, Blues-tinted riffs (“Let It Go”, “When The Hammer Falls”), elaborate soloing (“Burnin’ The Candle”, “Nothin Left To Lose”) or a page almost literally taken – or ripped out – from Van Halen’s book (the title track, which is “Hot For Teacher” transformed into the 21st century). All this shows how underrated Frank Pané is as a guitar player – perhaps even slightly overshadowed at times by a very certain Hans Ziller. David Reece is up to his task as well – the task itself ranging from screaming at the top of his lungs (“Burnin The Candle”) to revisiting his Bangalore Choir days (“Tell Me I Was Wrong”) and doing his best Coverdale-esque impressions (“Gone But Not Forgotten”).
Overall, Back With A Vengeance could have successfully served for a textbook of Hard Rock if there ever was one. The album’s filled to the proverbial brim with the well-tried yet still infallible gimmicks one can’t help but fall for as long as they dare to call themselves Rock fans. But facts are that there’s a dose of really solid songs beyond the gimmicks and that the four veterans behind Sainted Sinners know their craft better than anyone else around. Not only does it make the album a valuable addition to the album collection for every Hard Rock fan around. It also shows that with releases like this one, 2018 may be better than we might have initially expected. Beware Whitesnake – the rivalry may get really tight this year…
Genre: Hard Rock, Classic Hard Rock
Band:
David Reece – Vocals
Frank Pané – Guitars
Malte Frederik Burkert – Bass
Berci Hirleman – Drums
Tracklist:
01. Rise Like A Phoenix
02. Burnin The Candle
03. Back With A Vengeance
04. Tell Me I Was Wrong
05. Nothin Left To Lose
06. Waitin Til The Countdown Begins
07. Let It Go
08. When The Hammer Falls
09. Pretty Little Lies
10. Gone But Not Forgotten
Label: El Puerto Records
Website: www.facebook.com/SaintedSinners
Hardrock Haven rating: 
(8 / 10)
