Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Cholane
Label: Yellow Snake Records
Release date: 23.02.2015
Running time: 49:20
Rating: 3.5/5
Cholane are a German band founded back in 1992, shaped by the strong influence of the classic old-school German metal tradition cultivated above all by Accept and Victory, with NWOBHM elements clearly audible too, led by Saxon. The band had a studio debut, »Black Box«, in the bag as early as 1997, followed in 2004 by the album »Kickin’«. What exactly kept the band from landing with a bigger label that could give them the right creative conditions and a breakthrough to a wider audience will probably remain a mystery forever, but the stubbornness of the only original (and founding) member of today’s Cholane lineup, guitarist and singer Jürgen Wulfes, kept the band continuously active. So this year the band’s second studio album finally arrived, titled »Caution!«.
The album carries 13 tracks. Too many, because they swing back and forth in quality and in how well the lead guitar phrases land. Some grab you on first listen, instantly; others we’ve heard somewhere before, and repackaged they just don’t catch fire anymore. Cholane are a band devoted to the old-school tradition, and they stay loyal to the heritage of their previous two albums. The opener Shake Your Bones gives you, right in the chorus melody, an instant look at the arrangement principles that call for a bare-bones approach to old-school metal elements, without a shred of complication. The added harmonies of manly “mob” shouts bring Victory and Accept to mind straight away, while Jürgen Wulfens’ vocals are an unbelievably close match for Biff Byford (Saxon). In spots where Jürgen adds more grit, that resemblance to Byford slides toward Udo Dirkschneider (U.D.O., ex-Accept) or Nicky Moore (Samson). Simple as that. An approach this ossified just demands that kind of vocal style. It’s a melodic, clean vocal delivery that can build up the adrenaline-fueled payoff in the chorus melodies, which have to give the songs their atmospheric crescendo! Jürgen stays highly convincing throughout. Even in the highest vocal registers.
The songs stand up in terms of arrangement and composition. A penetrating riff that builds the desired punch, atmosphere building from verse into a grabby chorus, a dramatic moment in an effectively packed middle-eight. The guys know how to serve up songwriting, and everything sits right where it should. You can also easily pick out some touches of classic German hard rock on the album, the kind represented by bands like Bonfire, Frontline, Jaded Heart and Casanova. The one slight “oddball” on the album is the track Final Curtain. It’s a syrupy ballad with a piano arrangement sneaking in, and Jürgen deliberately uses vocal characteristics and tries to get close to David Coverdale in tone. Yet another move too many on the album.
So. »Caution!« is basically a very nice and polished piece of music, one that will appeal to all fans of the classic German heavy metal school. Call it the Teutonic school, led by Accept and Victory, while the resemblance to Saxon is stirred up mainly by Jürgen’s vocal approach, which recalls Biff Byford. The guys aren’t bringing a musical revolution. Just a heartfelt, honest record that fully convinces on substance. Let’s hope we won’t have to wait another 11 years for the next Cholane album, and that it won’t have more than 10 tracks.
Lineup
Jürgen Wulfes – vocals, guitar
Kai Steffen – guitar
Niels Sörenhagen – bass
Daniel Knop – drums
Production
Jürgen Wulfes
Track list
01. Shake Your Bones
02. Wicked Man
03. Streets on Fire
04. Get Down
05. Stop
06. Deaf Dumb and Blinded
07. Grow Old
08. Final Curtain
09. Alive
10. Eternity
11. Highway
12. Fading Away
13. One Track Mind
