Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Sunstorm
Label: Frontiers Records
Release: 2018
Duration: 45:33
Rating: 4/5
»The Road To Hell« is the fifth studio album overall from Sunstorm. Or rather, from the Sunstorm project, because that’s really what it is. The self-titled debut came out in 2006, and the project has stayed alive purely thanks to the stubborn enthusiasm of one big believer: Serafino Perugino, boss of the Naples-based label Frontiers Records, who saw huge potential in a band fronted by the one and only Joe Lynn Turner. Turner’s reputation is well known. He sang with Rainbow, Deep Purple, Y.J. Malmsteen’s Rising Force, and behind him stands a solo career with more than enviable mileage and a pile of albums, not to mention his (admittedly short-lived) joint project with Glenn Hughes (Hughes Turner Project), which was unforgettable. Anyway, on the first three albums Sunstorm were kept alive mostly by German musicians (especially from the ranks of Pink Cream 69) and the Germanized American Dennis Ward (Unisonic, Pink Cream 69), but on the fourth album, »Edge of Tomorroe«, the whole picture changed. To keep the project going, Perugino had to call up an entirely Italian crew of top-notch multi-instrumentalists, virtuosos and songwriters, so he could keep the most interesting thing about the whole story front and center. Turner’s vocal character, of course. And so two years ago came »Edge of Tomorrow«, the start of a new chapter in the Sunstorm story.
It’s also a considerably more cautious album than the previous three, one that lacks a bit of daring, emotional courage and songwriting insight. It’s very predictable, and so far the least interesting Sunstorm release. But its follow-up, where Turner is backed by the same crew as on its predecessor, firmly corrects that impression, and the songwriting garrison has moved away from leaning on the legacy of west coast AOR melodies (think bands like Journey, Survivor…) toward more classic hard rock waters, where Turner is very much at home.
So, then. »The Road to Hell« oozes musicality and has a sneaky, under-the-skin seductiveness, but in its production, arrangements and songwriting alike it leans more toward flirting with the Rainbow of the »Turner in Bonnet« days, and indirectly Deep Purple too, than toward the traits that define the »west coast« AOR approach. That said, the link to high-melody pomp is still very much present on the album, and the kinship with AOR shouldn’t be dismissed in any way. Overall, »The Road To Hell« gives the impression of a more live, organic-sounding album, with the warmth of its low-end sonic blankets contrasted by the »rustling« sound of the organs, which deepens the sense of kinship with the classic hard rock school. In fact, there’s only one track on the album that instantly pulls toward Journey: the closer, Still Fighting.
Luckily, the album never feels too long, and there aren’t too many songs on it. All eleven tracks stand level in quality, in both message and character. The musicians involved are crafty and skilled. Seasoned, highly experienced studio players, really, who turn things around fast in the studio and still hit hard. Of course, none of it would have gone anywhere without Alessandro Del Vecchio, who, besides keyboards, backing vocals and all those crucial finishing touches in the arrangements, also handles the production. The other standout is guitarist Simone Mularoni of the prog metallers DGM, who shines with the perfection of his virtuoso guitar wizardry throughout the album. The compositions are also built from plenty of interesting modulations within passages (especially in the mid-eights), where they pull off a complete flip of mood. Turner’s velvety, slightly throaty voice is craftily harmonized throughout with additional vocal lines, which deepens the theatrical drama and the bombastic unfolding of the songs.
After a somewhat limping predecessor that played it cautious above all and was out to win approval for the revamped lineup, its follow-up »The Road to Hell« is a far more confident and self-assured continuation. It’s an absolute step up in artistry and expression, nudging the project closer to the albums of Turner’s solo career as well as to Rainbow. The architects of the new Sunstorm era pulled off this shift with great distinction, and the project has kept its credibility and authenticity throughout. Let’s hope the project holds on to this highly creative momentum for as long as possible and carries it over to future releases. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it serves up the essence of the old hard rock school with great effect and conviction, craftily wrapped in the bombast of age-old AOR sentiment.
Line-up
Joe Lynn Turner – vocals
Simone Mularoni – guitar
Alessandro Del Vecchio – keyboards
Nik Mazzucconi – bass guitar
Edo Sala – drums
Production
Alessandro Del Vecchio
Track list
1. Only the Good Will Survive
2. The Road to Hell
3. On the Edge
4. Blind the SKy
5. My Eyes On You
6. Future to Come
7. Everywhere
8. Resurrection
9. Calling
10. State of the Heart
11. Still Fighting
