WildeStarr Arrival
by John Kindred
Staff Writer
WildeStarr features the combined efforts of Dave Starr (Vicious Rumors, Chastain), London Wilde and Jim Hawthorne. Starr, known more for his bass performances with previous bands, takes on the role as guitarist while London provides her voice and keyboard skills to their debut release Arrival. Hawthorne takes his queue providing heavy beats to complete the intense metal excursions.
Arrival comprises 11 songs that fall into the Heavy Metal genre. Rich, lavish production embellishes London’s soaring vocals. She has more in common with metal Gods like Halford and Dickenson then her current peers such as Amy Lee. Modern metal fanatics will be disappointed if they expect to hear female operatic vocals that are prevalent in today’s metal music scene. London’s piercing style is well suited for her natural vocal range. Many of her male counterparts strive to attain screams of indefinite rage, but most fall far short of the goal. In fact, her voice is strongly reminiscent of ‘80s Christian Metal vocalist Charlie Clark (Messiah Prophet).
The musical arrangements are built upon layers of instrumentation that build into a wall of sound. Starr proves that his ability transcends the rhythmic devices of the bass guitar as he performs fluid, flashy harmony guitar solos. The rhythm guitars fall in line with typical metal arrangements, so you will not be wowed by anything dynamically new here. His years as a bass player definitely provides for tight interaction between the rhythm guitar, bass and drums.
With the slick production and layers of audio, Arrival, at times, feels a bit watered down and repetitive. The assault of lead guitar harmony runs pushes a strong Queensryche influence, while the rhythm arrangements move from N.W.O.B.H.M. to slower, more deliberate Sabbath-inspired grooves. All the while, Wilde’s voice soars over the top like a banshee unleashed, calling out to you from the other side.
Arrival leans on the fundamentals of the Heavy Metal genre, which were defined in the ‘70s and ‘80s. WildeStarr don’t attempt to deliver a new twist on the genre but instead languish within its constructs. They settle for showcasing their abilities to excel within the parameters of the Metal world. Arrival is well worth a listen.
Label: Furnace Maximus Records
Web: www.wildestarr.com
Band:
London Wilde (v)(k)
Dave Starr (g)(b)
Jim Hawthorne (d)
Track Listing:
1. Rose In The Dark
2. Arrival
3. Touching God
4. Rise
5. Down Of The Sun
6. In This World
7. Generation Next
8. Nevermore
9. Voice In The Silence
10. The Chain
Hardrock Haven rating: 7/10