{"id":47358,"date":"2014-12-13T09:15:08","date_gmt":"2014-12-13T14:15:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=47358"},"modified":"2014-12-13T09:15:46","modified_gmt":"2014-12-13T14:15:46","slug":"revolution-saints-cd-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2014\/revolution-saints-cd-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Revolution Saints | Revolution Saints<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Alexandra Mrozowska<\/span>
\n– Senior Columnist —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"GrungeIf looking back 12 months prior to date, it can be said 2014 was an intense year in melodic rock \u2013 well, to say the least! Among the multitude of releases able to both take your breath away and drain your pockets dry, many had this (in)famous super-group quality to them \u2013 from Three Lions and California Breed to Rated X. Another much-hailed top-level collaboration, signed to the hegemonic Frontiers Records similarly to the above bands, is Revolution Saints. In its early stages, the band was known as Castronovo\/Blades\/Aldrich project due to the three personae involved \u2013 drummer\/singer Deen Castronovo (Cacophony, Bad English, Journey, Hardline, Jeff Scott Soto-fronted Soul Sirkus etc.), singer\/bassist Jack Blades (Night Ranger, Damn Yankees, Shaw\/Blades) and guitarist Doug Aldrich (formerly of DIO, Whitesnake and Burning Rain). With their proper band name established, the cream of guest musicians gathered and Alessandro Del Vecchio in his usual role of the guardian angel (plus a producer, a keyboard player and a songwriter), the trio is ready to announce their self-titled debut album to be released in February 2015. <\/p>\n

From the gritty riff and the rich lead guitar work of the opening track \u201cBack On My Trail\u201d to the grandiose piano-based ballad \u201cIn The Name Of The Father (Fernando\u2019s Song),\u201d Revolution Saints is no retro-mania. It\u2019s certainly not a nostalgia-driven kind of album that\u2019s recycling the old ideas and well-tried formulas from the past \u2013 but there\u2019s enough of \u201880s and early \u201890s melodic rock flavors throughout its entirety to make it a worthy 2014 equivalent of the classics of the genre. <\/p>\n

As the adage goes, the further it goes, the better it gets. \u201cTurn Back Time\u201d is all feisty guitar riff balanced with the addition of the softening touch of the AOR-ish keyboards, embroidered with the catchy, melodic chorus in the best melodic rock tradition. A mid-tempo AOR piece \u201cYou\u2019re Not Alone\u201d comes next, featuring a guest vocal contribution from the current voice of Journey \u2013 Arnel Pineda. There\u2019s some heavier vibe to the fourth track \u201cLocked Out Of Paradise,\u201d fueled by Aldrich\u2019s trademark guitar wizardry. With \u201cWay To The Sun,\u201d Revolution Saints invade the ballad-esque territory again, albeit with a slight twist as the guitar parts in it are hardly mellow. The track is also exceptional for some other reasons, as it has the guitar legend Neal Schon playing a guest part alongside Jack Blades and Alessandro Del Vecchio contributing to it with their vocals.<\/p>\n

\u201cDream On\u201d is a straightforward hard rock piece driven with the pounding drum line and irresistibly catchy chorus, preceding another majestic power ballad \u201cDon\u2019t Walk Away\u201d that has some Journey-like flavors to it\u2026 especially Deen\u2019s vocal parts. Another tune that draws much from the ballad-esque sound aesthetics is \u201cHere Forever\u201d, albeit it gravitates towards a bit heavier sound further on. The next two tracks \u201cStrangers To This Life\u201d and \u201cBetter World\u201d again highlight the infectiousness of the melody while in the background there\u2019s also Aldrich serving handful of his manic guitar shredding against Del Vecchio\u2019s powerful keyboards. Sound-wise, both are the worthy counterparts of the sound and style eagerly utilized by the likes of Joe Lynn Turner (especially in the latter phase of his career, Sunstorm for example). And although its title may have misled you, the eleventh track \u201cTo Mend A Broken Heart\u201d is even more fiery than its predecessors music-wise, with its heavy, almost metal-infused groove against the catchy melody. The material is closed with the aforementioned \u201cIn The Name Of The Father (Fernando\u2019s Song),\u201d a tasteful ballad-esque finish to its entirety.<\/p>\n

Revolution Saints are being dubbed \u201cthe musicianship to die for\u201d and one of the most interesting collaborations in the recent history of rock. Guessing by their first effort, there\u2019s neither a pomposity nor an exaggeration to such statements. Revolution Saints is, to put it simply, an instant melodic rock classic standing up to reputation of all parts involved. Much can be said about the top-level production, the drummer-turned-singer Deen Castronovo\u2019s vocal proficiency or the predictable excellence of the instrumental section. But still, what is perhaps the album\u2019s strongest point is the material itself, 12 songs distinguished not only by the extraordinary performance, but also by the high quality songwriting. Intertwining soaring power ballads with fiery guitar-laden tunes, all of them embroidered with perfectly crafted melodies, Revolution Saints is not only a must for all Night Ranger\/Journey\/Whitesnake fans. It actually goes far beyond the musicians\u2019 collective resumes with its catchy-yet-tasteful melodies and classic hard rock flavors. And even though one can hardly predict what does the future hold in store and even though there\u2019s still 2014 on the clock, there\u2019s no doubt about every melodic rock aficionado including Revolution Saints in their \u201cbest of 2015\u201d list in 12 months from now. <\/p>\n

Genre: Melodic Hard Rock, Hard Rock<\/p>\n

Band:
\nDeen Castronovo: lead vocals, drums
\nJack Blades: bass, vocals (tracks 2, 5)
\nDoug Aldrich: guitars<\/p>\n

Additional musicians
\nAlessandro Del Vecchio: keyboards, backing vocals, vocals (track 5)
\nArnel Pineda \u2013 co-lead vocals (track 3)
\nNeal Schon \u2013 guitar solo (track 5)<\/p>\n

Track List:
\n1. Back On My Trail
\n2. Turn Back Time
\n3. You’re Not Alone
\n4. Locked Out Of Paradise
\n5. Way To The Sun
\n6. Dream On
\n7. Don’t Walk Away
\n8. Here Forever
\n9. Strangers To This Life
\n10. Better World;
\n11. How To Mend A Broken Heart
\n12. In The Name Of The Father (Fernando’s Song)<\/p>\n

Label: Frontiers Records<\/p>\n

Website: https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RevolutionSaints\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Hardrock Haven rating: 9.5\/10<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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