Talon | III

by Mark Allen
Staff Writer –

Talon want to sink their claws into your cochlea with their crunchy, chock-full-o’-hooks brand of melodic hard rock and this latest album is probably good enough to satisfy the easy-to-please segment of the genre demographic. But fussier fans who foist the opinion that melodic hard rock should be something more than standard issue may find that the average-ness of most of the tracks means they cannot muster more than minimal interest.

Talon continue their pattern of revolving door vocalists; for this outing, Shawn Pelata (Line of Fire) manhandles the microphone and gives a marvelous performance that is all attitude in the lower register and consummate skill on the high notes. His vocal prowess is complemented by the angelic axe-work, the thickly layered guitars sporting a gleaming edge like a polished razor blade, never losing sight of the melody for even a microsecond. Showing that he is not estupido in the studio, producer Ty Sims (Bombay Black, Far Cry) is wise enough to emphasize this serious six-string sizzle. The powerful one-two punch of the guitars and vocals is almost enough to compensate for the album’s shortcomings. Almost.

Adding class and clout to the album is the guest appearance of the legendary Jeff Scott Soto on the song “Take You All the Way,” which is easily one of the standout tracks and sounds strikingly similar to other Soto-fronted projects such as Takara or Talisman. In other words, if you like slick melodic rock structured around a sharp hook, catchy chorus, and big backing vocals, then you may want to stuff a handful of Kleenex down the front of your pants to soak up any visible sign of your sonic satisfaction.

Unfortunately, not all of the songs are of this high quality level and far too often the album threatens to collapse under the weight of mediocrity overload, particularly in the chorus department. Within the parameters of the melodic rock genre, you live and die by the strength of your hooks, and while none of the hooks on this release are terrible, few of them rise above basic boilerplate level. This is hard rock tragedy, because the smoking guitars and powerful vocals of Pelata deserve better than to be hobbled by an over reliance on formula.

Thankfully, this detraction does not apply to all tracks; there are several excellent songs that any true-blooded melodic hard rock enthusiast should have in their collection. First among these would be “Did You Have To Say,” a mid-tempo tune that slides along on subdued guitars and subtle keyboards before building to a catchy, harmony-heaped chorus. Next up is “Everytime,” which cranks along with fiery guitar acrobatics accented by a pounding back beat and punchy chorus that again features the slick harmonies of which the band is so fond. Rounding out the top tier trilogy is “You Got What It Takes,” and this song has got what it takes to get your head banging and your foot tapping thanks to its badass riff and stop-start rhythm.

Talon remain a reliable but mostly unremarkable melodic hard rock band. If you enjoyed past Talon efforts, you’ll enjoy this one as well, but the lopsided filler-to-gem ratio that has plagued them in the past continues to plague them in the present. Even with great talent behind the microphone and guitars, the third time is definitely not the charm for Talon, but neither will you want to curse yourself for having picked it up.

Genre: Melodic Hard Rock

Band:
Shawn Pelata (lead and backing vocals)
Kory Voxen (rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar)
Jim Kee (lead guitar)
Phil Keller (bass guitar)
Eric Ragno (keyboards)
John Parker (drums)

Additional Musicians:
Erik Johnson (backing vocals)
Jeff Scott Soto (lead and backing vocals on “Take You All the Way”)

Track Listing
1. Crying to Me
2. The Last Time
3. Did You Have To Say
4. Everytime
5. Take You All the Way (featuring Jeff Scott Soto)
6. Maybe One Day
7. You Don’t Know Me At All
8. Walk Away
9. Brothers
10. When Will I
11. You Got What It Takes
12. Jane (Starship cover)

Webpage: www.reverbnation.com/talonofficial

Label: Escape Music

Hardrock Haven rating: 7/10

Bombay Black Love You to Death

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Sooner or later, the listening world is going to have to realize that Bombay Black is simply one of the best bands on the planet making Hard Rock today. Their prior releases—Mercy, Anger Management and Psycho Magnet—all reveled in the band’s ability to write snarky, funny, heavy and extremely melodic anthems. None of that has changed on the new studio album, Love You to Death; it’s just all better than anything they’ve recorded or written thus far.

One of Bombay Black’s biggest draws is the biting lyrics from singer/guitarist Erik Johnson, and the way he delivers his vocals. On the opening track, “Reign Over Me,” it’s all there to wallow in. Drummer Rob McCauley also firmly plants his brand on this track, pummeling along at a fevered and deft pace. Musically, it’s one of the most Modern Rock sounding Bombay Black has recorded, but they take it even further later in the album.

“It’s hard to be good with a demon on your shoulder, when the night is young and we’re only getting older,” sings Johnson on “The Angel and the Devil.” If you want to hear exactly how to write a hooky chorus, this is how you do it. “It’s bad to be good when it’s good to be evil” is another one of those lyrics that get carved into your noggin after one listen and you will be forced to sing along next time around. Guitarist Jim Perry rips into a searing solo but like the band itself, he is here to make the song the best it can be, not to show off. The song crescendos to a fierce close, and you wonder if or how they’ll top this track. And they do …

“Demons Down” is perhaps the best track on Love You to Death. If you haven’t heard Bombay Black yet, it’s all about attitude. Their songs tell stories, typically funny as hell stories. They are also fond of booze, and ladies, and having a good time—gee, who can relate to that? Oh yeah, everyone. “You can get so goddamned lucky tonight but you couldn’t tell if it’s a fuck or a fight!” is just another one of those relationships Bombay Black nails down to perfection. The human condition never felt so damn good, except when you are listening to Bombay Black.

One knock on the band in the past, perhaps like AC/DC, is that their songs were somewhat similar and they didn’t try anything new or go outside their comfort zone. Well, “Black Widow” makes you rethink everything you thought about Bombay Black. “Black Widow” begins with an almost Industrial Metal groove; it’s sleazy, dirty and extremely sexual. Suddenly, synthesizer hit you, which is a first for the band. The song picks up speed, with two-part harmony vocals on the bridge, and spins you into this massive chorus. If this can somehow make it to mainstream radio, and it should, it will be a hit.

They get back to what they do best on “Smother,” and if you thought “Black Widow” had a catchy chorus, this one takes it to a new level. Hearing “Choke me smother me! It’s all that you do to me … I like it in the bed but not in my head, when you choke me smother me!” is just perfect. The band had best make some t-shirts that say “Choke Me Smother Me!” because who wouldn’t wear that to church?

The drumming on “Give Yourself to Me” is more intricate than anything you’ve heard from Bombay Black before. It’s almost tribal in its rhythms, and bassist Ty Sims flaunts a stylistic bass line as well. Again, this is one of those songs that Bombay Black took a chance on and exceeded whatever expectations they set before themselves. It’s a mid-paced composition, much like “Black Widow,” and one of the coolest tracks they’ve ever written.

As much as you embrace the experimental Bombay Black, you are still going to glom on to their songs like “New Psycho.” This one has that Puddle of Mudd “She Hates Me” vibe, and the band actually wrote this song via e-mail, basically because Johnson seemed to have lost his artfully hateful attitude towards life, and the band pointed it out to him. After a few e-mails, the lyrics were written and the song soon followed. This lyric tells it all: “I’ve got a nice house and a really cool girl, been playing to people all around the world. I’ve got my fireball and I’ve got my guitars, but I know I’m losing sight of what it means to be a star. I need a new PSYCHO!”

Love You to Death is everything you expect from Bombay Black, but it also has a few new tricks to let you know the band is still evolving. Considering they are one of the best live bands you will see hit the stage, it’s almost immeasurable how big these guys could become if given the chance.

Band:
Erik Johnson (vocals, guitar)
Ty Sims (bass, vocals)
“Devil” Jim Perry (guitar, vocals)
Rob McCauley (drums, vocals)

Online: www.myspace.com/bombayblack

Track listing:
1. Reign Over Me
2. The Angel and the Devil
3. Love You to Death
4. Demons Down
5. Let the Right One In
6. Black Widow
7. Smother
8. Give Yourself to Me
9. Shackles and Chains
10. Down on the Floor
11. Mojo
12. New Psycho

Genre: Hard Rock

Label: Triage Music

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.4/10

Ty Sims of Bombay Black

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Bombay Black bassist Ty Sims checked in with Hardrock Haven to talk about the release of their brand new studio effort Love You to Death; why they went the “do it yourself” route this time around; how the band has managed to keep all original band members together since the group’s debut; how the songwriting is evolving in the band; upcoming tour plans, including Dakota Rock Fest; and a whole lot more.

Tune in now to hear Sims catch you up on everything Bombay Black, and pick up Love You to Death immediately.

(If the embedded player doesn’t populate, click here to stream the interview in a stand alone player.)