Artist: Barden, Gary
Label: Escape Music
Release: 2006
Rating: 2.5/5
Gary Barden is a hard rock singer probably best known for his stint in MSG (Michael Schenker Group), and these days he sings with the reunited English hard rockers Statetrooper. Two years ago he put out a debut that’s definitely worth a listen, called “Past And Present”. It had some original material of his own, plus fascinating covers of tracks he once forged together with the legendary (ex-Scorpions, ex-UFO) guitarist Michael Schenker. So what about this time?
“Agony And The Xtasy” opens with the pretty much expected rocker Hot Daze, which proves the apple didn’t fall far from the tree, meaning this: a compact, well-crafted “kinky” riff with a solid, driving rhythm line is with us the whole way through. Mood and dynamics happily bounce around the record, getting serious for the first time in the shape of the big “groove” of Stop and the no less thrilling ”honky tonk” R & B experience No More Reasons, which is seasoned with juicy embellishments from the decisive solo ”slide” guitar work of guest Martin Huch (Carl Carlton, Oni Logan). Like I said, in its livelier stretches the album has the necessary rawness and adrenaline-fueled rocker assault, in other words, playing with balls, and on top of that it sounds fresh. It sticks to classic guidelines, but its author has breathed the necessary character into it. Barden’s voice is well preserved, explosive and melodic in every register, so it convincingly stands shoulder to shoulder with his peers, the greatest hard rock singers of the classic bands that broke new ground through the seventies. The song Let Me Down channels UFO at their best, and the one to blame is guest of special renown Michael Schenker, who conjures up that signature magic in the track with his “Flyin’ V” flying, recognizable from a mile away.
This time Barden offers an album made up entirely of songs that grew out of his own pen and his own perception of the phenomenon called music. It’s an excellent, classically conceived hard rock album. Rawness and just the right dose of bombast are no strangers to it! At the same time, the album features the impressive bluesy ballads Change Of Winds and Need Some Love, which especially highlight the refined mastery of Barden’s noble, sensual singing, all velvety softness. In the highly atmospheric Need Some Love, guest musician, guitarist Tommy Denander (Radioaktive), really draws attention to his strengths, revealing a big blues talent through heartfelt soloing.
Together with his workmates Michael Voss (Bonfire, Casanova) and Bertram Engel (Robert Palmer, Jimmy Barnes, Bruce Springsteen), and a bunch of guest musicians of exceptional talent and know-how who were by no means just formal extras in their collaboration, Barden has made a varied, dynamic, classically conceived hard rock record, practically a must for fans of classic sounds that hit you right from the first go. It’s an important record for Barden as a musician, since after all these years of fruitful musical activity, from MSG, Gary Moore through Praying Mantis and Silver to Statetrooper, it’s actually his first real creation of his own, which this excellent singer undoubtedly deserves.
Lineup
Gary Barden – vocals
Michael Voss – guitar, bass
Bertram Engel – drums
Guest musicians:
Michael Schenker – guitar
Tommy Denander – guitar
Steve Morris – guitar
Martin Huch – guitar
Axel Kruse – drums
Production
Michael Voss
Track list
1. Hot Daze
2. Can´t Stop Dreaming
3. Stop (What´Cha Doing To Me)
4. Let Me Down
5. Wounded
6. No More Reasons
7. In & Out Of Love
8. Arise
9. Change Of Wind
10. Need Some Love
