Chez Kane - Powerzone (Album Review)

British bombshell Chez Kane returns to the world of melodic rock with her second album, Powerzone. Her self titled debut album was considered to be the best melodic record of 2020 by many commentators and reviewers. This blog and my YouTube channel celebrated that album as a return to form for a genre that, over the years, has nearly faded into obscurity. This new collection of songs avoids the sophomore slump that often happens when expections are set so high.

Returning to the mix is Crazy Lixx mastermind, Danny Rexon. Danny has this uncanny ability to meld the classic hair metal sound of the 80's with classic rock influences from prior decades. It is unapologetic in it's throwback nature. That's what sets this apart from other projects where a more modern approach is taken. 

The album's opening track, the instantly grand "I Just Want You" is almost Jim Steinman in it's big production and whopping chorus. Kane's lead vocals are classy and gritty and of course will take you back to the days of Vixen or Lita Ford. "(The Things We Do) When We're Young And In Love" pulls a bit of mojo from 60's girl groups and melds it with an 80's top 40 vibe. Danny Rexon plays every instrument and is clearly a jack of all trades. It's actually quite remarkable how cohesive and well put together these songs are. It's surprising that Rexon hasn't been asked to replicate this sound for other artists.

"Rock You Up" is a big beat Def Leppard banger with the perfect 80's lyrical footprint.  "Love Gone Wild" is another straight forward runner with Chez singing some precise high notes, a bit like a young Pat Benatar.  And who doesn't love a well placed saxophone (played by Jesse Molloy)? This adds an Eddie Money dimension to things and is a welcome addition to the instrumentation. "Children of Tomorrow Gone" is an epic mix of big synth, driving guitars (plus a killer guitar solo) and another huge, memorable chorus. Chez's confidence can be felt in the way she delivers the goods, track after track. 

"Powerzone" is a breathless rocker with a pounding beat and a swirling guitar solo that goes off on some really nice tangents. "I'm Ready (For Your Love)" is a sassy track that has a bluesy thing going on. Maybe like Alannah Myles on steroids but with all of the Aqua Net that makes this album stand out. "Nationwide" is the poised to be a hit single. It talks about how Chez is not yet an international superstar, but how she thinks she's doing alright. And quite clearly she is. It's another big hook with a clarion call to watch out, she's going nationwide. The message is perfect. The song is perfect. You go Chez! "Streets of Gold" has a working class vibe like Bad Company's "Shooting Star" or maybe "Livin' On A Prayer" by Bon Jovi. It's basically an old school storyteller ballad. It's awesome. "Guilty of Love"ends the album as an 8 minute opus with an extended guitar break at the end and with all the rock radio mojo of 1988. And it competes for best song on the record, thus maybe saving the best for last. 

Rexon and Kane have delivered a melodic rock masterpiece. There are no songs that let you down. There is nothing that would make you skip to the next song. This fills a void that needs filling. The music industry is so stale and predictable. But this record gives me hope that Chez Kane and Danny Rexon can revive a musical style that could even impact radio here in the United States. If the Frontiers label wanted to make waves, they would call radio stations right now, and get this thing on the air. For the rest of us gold miners, here it is. The best example of melodic rock for 2022.

Album Rating 9.9

House of Lords - Saints and Sinners (Album Review)

House of Lords is a band that emerged in the late 1980's and is probably best known for their cover of Traffic's "Can't Find My Way Home". But the band has had a long career, composing melodic and progressive rock for fans of bands like Asia, Whitesnake, Deep Purple and Ten. As familiar as these guys sound, they manage to occupy their own musical space. Band leader James Christian is a thoughtful songwriter who paints his musical landscapes with deep shades of color, while at the same time being laser focused on memorable melodies and choruses. 

The band's latest effort is called Saints and Sinners. In all I'd say the band has moved in a more progressive direction. Keyboardist Mark Mangold has infused Christian's musical ideas with a classical feel. The result is a very unique and meaningful project.

The album opens with a more straight forward rocker, "Saints and Sinners" which really has a Ten vibe. Religious themes abound by lyrics framed with ideas like grace and resurrection. Jimi Bell's guitar work adds a cosmic punch to an already big production. As with all great melodic rock bands, the guitar solos on every song reverberate with intentionality and do more than just compliment the songs. 

"House of The Lord" is one very memorable song. A galloping, edgy guitar riff pounds along and then recedes to a more pop-metal musicscape with Christian's lead vocal delicately soaring to the mountain tops. Mangold does his best Keith Emerson imitation, and you've got yourself a chart single for creative radio formats. "Take It All" is another worthy radio single with big, bold urgency. Three songs in, and you realize that these are well written songs. "Road Warrior" has a hint of "Foreplay" by Boston in its intro but then becomes something more raw and progressive. "Mistress of The Dark" is a song Ozzy could have recorded with more compression. The keyboards steal the show again as they create a memorable groove along with a locked in rythmn section. This is late night driving music in the vein of Golden Earring or Planet P Project.

"Avalanche" is a pure piano ballad which showcases James Christian as an arranger and a singer. The results are pretty impressive. Think Saigon Kick, "Love Is On The Way". "Roll Like Thunder" has a Def Leppard vibe with an abundance of vocal harmonies and qualifies as one of the best tracks on the record. "Razzle Dazzle" is part Led Zeppelin and part Deep Purple with a hint of Queen. The references abound on this project and it's all a good thing. "Dreamin' It All" starts with Johan Koleborg punishing the drum kit and then transitioning to a straight up big melodic rock song with a relentless guitar riff. "Takin' My Heart Back" is another superb rocker that is both melodic and progressive and has one of the best guitar solos on the album. "Angels Fallen" starts rough and then settles into a sweet groove held together by the powerful guitar and keyboard interchanges. The chorus seems to get bigger and more intense as the song reaches its conclusion. It's as if you've concluded your musical workout with one last sprint to the finish. 

In conclusion, this is one serious melodic and somewhat progressive rock band with thoughtful lyrics and a knack for painting big musical portraits. It gets better and better with each listen. Hopefully there is an audience that will appreciate the depth and creativity that went into "Saints and Sinners". One of the best albums of 2022. 

 Album Rating 9.8