Christian Tolle Project
Point Blank

So, Christian Tolle and his project returns with a new album that shoots from point blank range. Boring artwork but better than the cover on the previous album, and it could be believed to be a rather explosive or fiery album. As before Tolle does the most in terms of instruments and production with a few strong singers and other musicians helping out to make this album a reality. Point Blank is the name of the album and it follows a pretty decent album that we wrote a short fairly positive review about, so what about this one? Does it hit the target?

Musically it isn’t exactly surprising anyone, if you have heard the previous album you know how it sounds. They do a cover called Since You’ve Been Gone, which also should point you in the right direction in terms of guessing how it sounds. It is kind of classic rock, guitar driven, inspired by the seventies and eighties with a more powerful modern sound. Pretty good singers, pretty good production but not very much variation, the cover sticks out in an otherwise very uniform album. Good thing is that it is kept short enough not to turn boring during the time it spins in the music player disposing ten rocking tracks.

Ultimately it is a good album, the songs are good and the sound is likeable. But the fact that a cover of a four decades old song can be seen as a bit of a weakness – especially when the original song still sounds better. Other than the cover track there is not much standout or music that makes you want to stop and listen, or press the repeat button. And when writing I find myself a bit lost for words, as I don’t really know what to write about the album because while it may be good it doesn’t really make much of an impression, it is an album easily forgotten.

Guess the conclusion would have to be that it is an album of good musicians that is less impressive than it could have been. It feels a tad like Tolle isn’t really looking to write anything but his own version of old and dated music. It is an album that is entertaining for a while, you can play it a few times and then you grow tired of it. You will like it if you hear it but then you wouldn’t be bothered if you lost the album after hearing it – it is very good by also very forgettable and when I get rid of it I will not have the same old dreams, same time every night about it as it will just be gone and forgotten. I guess my strongest impression from this album is that Russ Ballard certainly knew how to write some timeless classics that were greatly covered by Mr Blackmore.

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