Reece-Kronlund | Solid
by Nikiforos Skoumas
Staff Writer —
It has been four years since American singer David Reece made his comeback in the music industry by fronting Swedish melodic hard rock band Gypsy Rose on their second album Another World. Since then David launched his solo career with Universal Language having also reformed his late-‘80s outfit Bangalore Choir subsequently releasing Cadence and re-issuing their debut.
In 2011 David joins forces once again with guitarist/producer Martin Kronlund the founder of Gypsy Rose; the man who got Reece back to making albums, their offering this time is Solid. Now, why this collaboration was not marketed as Gypsy Rose instead of Reece-Kronlund is anyone’s guess. Never the less, Solid more than verifies that the musical chemistry between the singer and the guitarist remains intact.
Those familiar with Kronlund’s work as a producer have probably come to expect thick-sounding albums, perfectly transparent on all instrumentation. Solid is no exception to the above paradigm, offering standard to up-tempo melodic hard rock songs that do justice to the reputation of the two rock-heroes.
The album opens on the fiery “My Angel Wears White” a song that is meant to contrast the opening song on Bangalore Choir’s debut “Angel in Black,” seemingly a dedication to the fans that have followed David’s career since the ‘80s. Up next is “Samurai,” possibly the album’s strongest moment (despite being a common songwriting topic in hard rock), a narrative featuring rather unconventional lyrics, captivating the listener from its opening note. Then there is “Could This Be Madness” which easily stands as their most mature power-ballad to date, masterfully combining clean and distorted instrumentation into a convincing song.
From there onwards the album takes a substantial mood swing with “Animals and Cannibals” and “Paint the Mirror Black” being much more aggressive and provoking than what precedes them. And just when one thought Solid holds no more surprises, the AOR-drama of “I Remember You” kicks in. Reece’s performance on this one is monumental and the arrangements (band and orchestra) are just magical.
Solid closes with the up-tempo power-hard rocker “The Dead Shall Walk the Earth” which makes direct reference to Gypsy Rose’s “Final Call,” closing the album in the most forceful way possible.
Thankfully things are very straightforward with this release; if you enjoy robust, dynamic but also mature melodic hard rock then Solid is totally recommended. Fans of Reece, Bangalore Choir, Gypsy Rose and Salute can not fail to enjoy Dave and Martin’s new album.
Genre: Melodic Hard Rock/ Hard Rock
Line Up:
David Reece – Vocals (Accept, Bangalore Choir)
Martin Kronlund – Guitars (Gypsy Rose, Dogface)
Track list:
01. My Angel Wears White
02. Samurai
03. Could This Be Madness
04. Animals And Cannibals
05. Remember You
06. Paint The Mirror Black
07. I Would
08. Edge Of Heaven
09. Magic Puddin’
10. The Dead Shall Walk The Earth
Label website: Metal Heaven
Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5/10