Band:
David Reece - Vocals
Martin Kronlund - Guitars
Discography:
Debut
Guests:
Tommy Denander
Andy Susemihl
Rikard Quist
Brynn Arens
Christian Tolle
Hans Zandt
Info
Recorded, mixed, mastered and produced by Martin Kronlund and David Reece at Kronlund's 'JM Studio' Swede
Released 24/6-2011
Reviewed 18/6-2011
Links:
reeceworld.com
myspace
aorheaven
This is strangely enough for a band from AOR Heaven a melodic rock album, as is usual with the AOR, melodic rock genre it is focused on the melodies and choruses with clear production, really it is musically no surprises from Reece Kronlund. David Reece’s voice is not the super clean high pitched one that is quite usual in the AOR world but it is leaning in that direction. I would say that the band is firmly placed somewhere close to the centre of the AOR landscape.
In a way these albums are the hardest ones to review, it is good and the experience listening to the album is a rather good one but then as the album finishes you find yourself unaware of what it was you listened to. The feeling that they do not really achieve what they could have done is there, it is like there would be or could be more in there. It is a little like they are afraid to thread down paths not often threaded which is a bit sad for me as I feel like this album is just becoming one more in a crowd of similar albums that are out there. It is a good listen but it is forgotten when it ends.
I like the way it begins in My Angel Wears White which is setting up a promise which the band does deliver somewhat on in the next track called Samurai which probably the best one on the album, a track I think might be carried with me even when this album is over with on my part. I also find the song called Animals and Cannibals being quite good but then the rest of the songs feel very average and the album feels in the end like on of those I play, review and the put in the pile of albums to not play again.
I think this album’s biggest downfall is that even though David Reece is good, it does not feel as though he is good enough to carry the music. The same goes for Kronlund who does his job but his guitars do not speak for themselves and really lift the music in a way they do in the best bands. The guys does it well but not exceptionally well and their music is good but not exceptionally so and that means that they will probably just drown in the competition from all the other bands that are out there in the genre.
Solid is a forty minutes, ten tracks Pastime that works well for the time it takes to play it through. I think the songs and the album is good, nothing exceptional but still good. What I come to think of is that it feels like they are playing it safe and just looking at what has worked before and does it, which makes it a good pastime but not a great album, a solid one but not a great one.
I have a hard time figuring out the place on the musical map for this album. They are like some obscure place in the map, some nice place that no one really visits or knows of, not a hidden gem but a hidden decent place perhaps. Good, but not good enough and especially not individual enough for the band to stand out above the crowds of other AOR-bands.
I think that Reece Kronlund makes a good debut but I fear they do not have enough to be noticed. On my part they will probably end up in the big pile of albums that I am done with.
HHHHHHH
