Label: Frontiers Music Srl.
Release date: 26.04.2019
Album length: 51.01 min
Production: Alessandro Del Vecchio
Genre: Melodic Rock / Hard Rock / AOR
Hardline are an American hard rock band, or these days, if not outright Italian, then at least American-Italian, who tasted the sweetness of fame with their unforgettable studio debut »Double Eclispe«, which came out way back in 1992. The band never repeated that success and soon after their second album »II« they went quiet for several years. At the start of the new millennium Johnny Gioeli, the only active musician left from the original lineup, revived the group, and between 2009 and 2016 it racked up three albums. Of those, the fifth one, »Human Nature«, released in 2016, comes closest to recapturing the artistic peak from the start of their career. The new album »Life« is number six, and it skillfully rides the wave of its brilliant predecessor.
Johnny Gioeli is today one of the busiest, hardest-working musicians in the melodic rock world, constantly lending his vocals to all sorts of albums. By all sorts of artists. Whether it’s the new studio album from Axel Rudi Pell, or a side project like the recent one with Deen Castronovo, or even a solo album, which Johnny put out last July. Gioeli has the band’s loyal fans to thank first and foremost for Hardline still being around in these very tough times for AOR, melodic rock and hard rock, along with the bosses at Frontiers Music Srl., who also make sure Gioeli and his crew keep steering skillfully onward and that the coffers stay full of gold coins.
So »Life« is a really nice, quality record. It introduces two brand-new members to the audience: guitarist Mario Percudani, who replaced his predecessor Josh Ramos (who parted ways with the band over disagreements about its future musical direction (production approach included)), and drummer Marco Di Salvia, who stepped in for Francesco Jovino (the latter is known as the drummer of Primal Fear). In that sense the tracks on »Life« feel noticeably tighter and more decisive than on its predecessor »Human Nature«. Mario Percudani is also an outstanding lead guitarist, and the departure of the otherwise excellent Ramos didn’t hurt the band in the slightest.
With keyboardist, producer, arranger, composer and, last but not least, touring keyboardist Alessandro Dell Vecchio on board, Gioeli has absolutely nothing to worry about. »Life« also has a few seriously catchy, infectious, old-school rock marches that speak straight to you and show off the incredible musical knack for songwriting that the all-round Del Vecchio knows how to deliver. Gioeli’s vocals sparkle and crackle in them phenomenally. That slightly throaty, full, passionately boiling and utterly charismatic voice. »Life« leans on the debut album too, as the highly combustible opener Place To Call Home points out, and Helio’s Sun, later on the album, quickly matches its energy, as does Out of Time. The latter puts the album gratefully back into proper rock gear, after the somewhat pale and generic ballad Page Of Your Life. Overall, »Life« would be an even more memorable and punchier album if it didn’t have three ballads, on which the band wastes time more than anything else. It’s simply recycling that no longer bears fruit. After so many years of AOR and melodic rock as genres, this formula just doesn’t spark anymore. It’s been used and put on display too many times.
The band also covered Who Wants To Live Forever (Queen), which is likewise a ballad, but as a composition it develops in a completely different way, with a totally distinctive, unique character, and when you compare this Queen classic with the three original Hardline ballads on this album, it’s instantly clear that comparisons are pointless and those three originals are pretty pale filler.
Otherwise, the band has put together an excellently produced album. Organic-sounding. Totally live. Alive. At moments it gets close to the classic hard rock sound, thanks to the Hammond licks and the excellent harmonizing of the lead vocals with the backing ones. Something for fans of Whitesnake, early Bon Jovi, or Gotthard. All in all, »Life« is a really high-quality new album from Hardline, packed with righteous rock slaps in the face, with three average ballads wedged in between, which doesn’t take away from the essence of the record, namely its credibility.
author: Aleš Podbrežnik
rating: 8.0 / 10
Tracklist:
01. Place To Call Home
02. Take A Chance
03. Helio’s Sun
04. Page Of Your Life
05. Out Of Time
06. Hold On To Right
07. Handful Of Sand
08. This Love
09. Story Of My Life
10. Who Wants To Live Forever
11. Chameleon
12. My Friend
Lineup:
Johnny Gioeli – vocals
Alessandro Del Vecchio – keyboards
Mario Percudani – guitar
Marco Di Salvia – drums
Anna Portalupi – bass guitar
