by Derric Miller
— Managing Editor —
This album shouldn’t be this good. Like a growing number of Frontiers Music releases, they just gather a slew of musicians into a project, chuck those projects against the wall, and hope it sticks. When you do that with renowned talents like Robin McAuley, Reb Beach, Jeff Pilson, and Matt Starr, the odds are about 50/50 the upshot will be worth your time. But Black Swan is a resounding fist pump against that criticism. Generation Mind, their second release, is somehow better than their first …
And if the project analysis doesn’t make sense to you, listen to The END Machine, where only George Lynch shines but the songs do not. (Yes, Pilson is in both bands, and it’s basically Dokken with Robert Mason … but it doesn’t work, yet.)
Generation Mind begins with an unnecessary instrumental intro, and then rips into “She Rides Behind.” Breakneck, frantic, and melodic, this is one thing Black Swan excels at … along with everything else. McAuley is one of those singers who doesn’t let age tell him what to do–he is clearly one of the best Hard Rock singers today, up there with legends like Joe Lynn Turner.
The title track is a slightly less vicious anthem, more of a straight-ahead rocker. “Generation Mind” wields lightning bolts of melody, and Pilson is a talented back-up singer, as he proves on every track. Beach’s solo is bubbly at first, then switches to heavier riffs and then fingering the fret, precise and containing raw energy ready to explode, as he does at the end.
“Miracle” sounds exactly like McAuley’s MSG days, which were arguably Schenker’s best albums. While some of the songs are heavy, “current” if you will, “Miracle” is more a nod back to the road that brought them here today.
Your guilty pleasure comes in the form of “How Do You Feel.” It’s a forlorn power ballad, honestly conveying real loss and sheer sadness. When McAuley sings “What would you do if our love was in tatters … how do you feel about me,” and “Trust in the lie of love,” this was written with a broken heart.
“I Will Follow” sounds sweet for a moment, and then quickly turns menacing. Instead of a song about standing by the person you love through thick and thin, it’s more of a threat: “Wherever you go … I will follow.” Get out your pepper spray, ladies …
As stated, it’s almost miraculous Generation Mind is this strong. With all the projects being released today, there’s rarely any chemistry. If these guys were all bros before, and they just pick up their bikes and ride them like no time has passed, it’s abnormal. They sound like they’ve been together for far more than two studio releases. If they get to the point you can call Black Swan a band, and not a project, there’s simply no losers. Just us, the winners, who get to hear what they do next …
Genre: Hard Rock
Band:
Robin McAuley- Lead Vocals and Background Vocals
Reb Beach- Guitars and Background Vocals
Jeff Pilson- Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Keys and Background Vocals
Matt Starr- Drums and Percussion
Tracklisting:
Before The Light
She Hides Behind
Generation Mind
Eagles Fly
See You Cry
Killer On The Loose
Miracle
How Do You Feel
Long Way Down
Crown
Wicked The Day
I Will Follow
Label: Frontiers Music
Online:
https://www.facebook.com/blackswanrocknroll
Hardrock Haven rating: 
(8.4 / 10)
