Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Revolution Saints
Label: Frontiers Records
Release: 2017
Running time: 51:18
Rating: 4/5
Anyone who follows classic hard rock with a strong musical backbone has sooner or later run into the name Revolution Saints. Behind it you’ll find three hard rock titans who are basically a supergroup. Deen Castronovo has drummed for Journey, Hardline, Bad English and Ozzy, west coast/AOR legends Night Ranger are unthinkable without bassist and vocalist Jack Blades (also Damn Yankees, Shaw/Blades), while the guitar phrasing and soloing come courtesy of the one and only Douglas Aldrich (The Dead Daisies, Burning Rain, ex-Whitesnake, ex-Dio, ex-Bad Moon Rising,…). In short, no hiding places here. With a lineup like that, there’s no way to miss.
So. Back in 2015, with the release of their self-titled studio debut, Revolution Saints confirmed all the buzz that they’re no joke. It was a splendid introduction to a fresh chapter for a modern melodic hard rock band backed by three incredibly seasoned and experienced musicians. Compared to the debut, the new album »Light in the Dark« is really a continuation of the same road, both sonically and in substance. It sounds remarkably like the debut, since the band recorded this one in Italy too, this past spring, under the watchful baton of Alessandro Del Vecchio, who also helped write and arrange the new songs and played all the keyboards on the album. This time the lead vocals are handled entirely by Deen Castronovo, which makes the most sense given the turbulent period he’s been through over the last two years. Deen contributed the lyrics, which are mostly personal and intimate, as the song titles alone hint. As everyone knows, Deen is famous for a very distinctive voice, and Journey fans know all too well how strikingly similar the timbre of his voice, as well as his phrasing and vocal melodies, is to the great Steve Perry (and by extension Arnel Pineda). The new tracks are therefore automatically pulled toward the song structures of AOR heavyweights Journey. It’s not copying, just association. What’s remarkable is how well Aldrich has slotted into that setup, with his guitar tricks at times even giving the impression that Neal Schon himself whispered a phrase or two in his ear. No worries about Jack Blades either. The co-author of Night Ranger’s evergreen hits has a total handle on getting the full payoff of AOR musicality out of the songs.
Anyway. The author of this piece never expected to be using the word Journey more often in this write-up than he first anticipated, and that was before he even popped the new CD »Light in the Dark« into the player. And yet. The same thing happened while listening to the band’s studio debut. It’s clear that the musical polish and refinement of these three charismatic players is seriously strong, and it runs wild on this release too. There’s no “aural” overlap between the artistic contributions of the three big talents in the compositions. No interference in their dialogue. Just contemplation. In ideas, in songwriting, in arrangements. That’s why the songs once again come across as extremely skillfully and brilliantly finished. In terms of getting the most out of the music, catchy build-ups of mood toward the chorus climax, the exceptional fluidity of the compositions, the dynamic flow of the album, the organic sound, the vocal harmonies. Even the two ballads, which at positions 4 and 8 break up the album’s otherwise rocking intensity, maintain a high quality. The first of them especially, I Wouldn’t Change a Thing, once again strongly evokes the songwriting approach of AOR pioneers Journey.
I won’t drag this out. What we have here is a high-quality, tightly built follow-up to the studio debut, with no songwriting slip-ups and no arrangement misfires, proving that the trio keeps all of its artistic freshness and creative drive. With all this Journey “mimicry” described above, we mustn’t forget to stress that Revolution Saints are a band with their own chemistry, energy and recognizable artistic charisma. And with »Light in the Dark« they only deepen and cement that position in the rock universe.
Revoluton Saints – Light in the Dark (official video):
Lineup
Deen Castronovo – vocals, drums
Jack Blades – bass guitar
Doug Aldrich – guitar
GUEST MUSICIAN:
Alessandro Del Vecchio – keyboards, backing vocals
Production
Alessandro Del Vecchio
Tracklist
1. Light in the Dark
2. Freedom
3. Ride On
4. I Wouldn’t Change a Thing
5. Don’t Surrender
6. Take You Down
7. The Storm Inside
8. Can’t Run Away From Love
9. Running On the Edge
10. Another Chance
11. Falling Apart
