Tag: heavens edge

Heavens Edge are yet another killer “hair” rock band that basically just released one killer record and then because of kids falling in love with flannel lumberjack shirts, it all went south. For sure these guys would have been a lot bigger if this album came out five years earlier. But we can’t dwell over the what ifs, can we?

What a great opening track with Play Dirty. Those ascending chords for the riff are a sure fire winner, and with those party anthem lyrics, you just can’t lose. It’s my favourite tune on the album. Skin To Skin follows and it’s another banger. Similar format to the opener with a killer riff and groove with lots of geeetar! Find Another Way is next and would have been a killer single. It’s a slightly softer track with what is essentially a power ballad, but with more balls. Great hook and chorus! Up Against The Wall is up next and a tad of funk is added to the mix to give the song a nice swing to the groove. It’s real ballad time now with Hold On To Tonight. Side 1 closes out with Can’t Catch Me. This baby bombs along at the speed of sound and has some Guns N’ Roses attitude thrown in.

Bad Reputation kicks Side 2 into action nicely. The track feels a bit like Def Leppard with the huge hook and chorus. Great tune! Daddy’s Little Girl follows and I really like the riff and groove, plus the middle section is really cool. A live track is next with Is That All You Want. It has a slow blues acoustic build up before the band explodes with an Aerosmith-style romp. Superb vocal harmonies at the intro of Come Play The Game; a power ballad with a massive hook and chorus. The album close out with Don’t Stop Don’t Go, a superb uptempo fun track and a great end to an awesome record.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

Another album brought to you by the folks at Frontiers’ back from the dead records. Other than their classic self-titled release from 1990 and an out of the blue release on MTM records in ’98, this new release is their only recorded works to date. Of course, putting out a melodic rock record at the beginning 90’s was like throwing your wallet into a bottomless pit, as it would never be seen again.  

So, what does this latest comeback album offer in terms of classic tunes? Well, opening track Had Enough is smokin’. The bass line is killer, and the riff and groove are right on the money – a nice uptempo rocker to wet the appetite. If rock radio was still interested in melody and memorable tunes then What Could’ve Been would be lighting up the charts. It’s an AOR classic with a huge melody and chorus.

Raise Em Up is another uptempo groover with a nice riff reminiscent of Schenker in his UFO days. 9 Lives (My Immortal Life) is the heaviest track on the record and romps along at a fair pace. My favourite tune however is the close out piece, I’m Not The One. A brooding monster of a track with a different vibe to it than the rest of the album, but still with a huge hook and melody.

Well, I’m glad they returned with a strong record. My only peeve is that the pressing I have is a bit on the quiet side.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.