Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Place Vendome
Label: Frontiers Records
Release: 2013
Running time: 54:49
Rating: 3/5
This project wouldn’t exist if the bigwigs at the Italian label Frontiers Records weren’t pushing for it. As you probably know, it brings together members of Pink Cream 69, plus the »lost and found son of rock ‘n’ roll« Michael Kiske (Unisonic, ex-Helloween) and, new this time, the Dutch drummer Dirk Bruineberg (Consortium Project, Elegy), who steps in for the overloaded Kosta Zafiriou (Unisonic, ex-Pink Cram 69).
It’s incredible how Dennis Ward, with everything he’s got going on in the European melodic rock and hard rock world, still finds the time for Place Vendome. Once again, a whole cast of excellent musicians and songwriters, the so-called well-known foot soldiers who also pick up nice paychecks from Frontiers Records, pitched in on the writing. This time, the songwriting reins for the new Place Vendome tracks were held by: Magnus Karlsson (Primal Fear), Timo Tolkki (ex-Stratovarius), Alessandro Del Vecchio (Hardline), Roberto Tiranti and Andrea Cantarelli (both Labyrinth, A Perfect Day), plus Tommy Denander (Radioactive), Sören Kronqvist (Sunstorm, Issa) and Brett Jones.
Even though »Thunder In the Distance« follows the exact same blueprint as the previous two Place Vendome albums, it shows the first signs of creative fatigue and self-replication. Even a thoroughly reshuffled lineup of songwriters doesn’t help (one of the few names that hasn’t changed is Magnus Karlsson — in a track like Lost In Space you spot his approach to songwriting right away). For the first time, you can feel routine winning out over hard-working creative enthusiasm in the making of a Place Vendome album. The songs are, as usual, »handled« with ease by Ward’s top-notch production and final mix, then there’s the typical verse-pre-chorus-chorus (x2) arrangement, a »mid-eight« plus pre-chorus-chorus, building blocks working seductively together in a balanced sound, solos placed in all the right spots, of course the commanding performance of Michael Kiske’s one-of-a-kind voice, which ripens like good old wine, and choruses that are once again slyly colored with harmonized melodies (aiming for emotional peaks within the songs). At first listen, everything works and convinces down to the last detail. But add the first two albums to the picture and the conclusion is that on their third outing, Place Vendome have run out of ideas. Also because the scene today is full of similar projects (Sunstorm, Allen/Lande,…). The genre is pretty well saturated in that respect, even though melodic rock lost its commercial relevance long ago (but, thankfully, not its appeal). Interestingly, the album sounds very »Scandinavian,« even though the material is played by German musicians. Thanks to whoever’s arranging the songs.
»Thunder In the Distance« is a good album. Polished and meticulously detailed. At its core, nothing is missing, and melodic rock fans definitely won’t have much to complain about. But for the first time, you can feel a serious creative drought on it, which leaves an ungrateful impression that generic self-replication is driving this album. Nor is it exactly shocking to realize that this time a sense of professional routine has taken over the album because it’s been robbed of ideas, and of emotion too. Apparently there was even more of that left with the head honchos at Frontiers Records, which reads as grotesque. By no means a bad album, but it doesn’t »click« the way you’d initially expect.
p.s.: And why the hell does the album title have to remind you of the cult album by the Japanese hard rock band Loudness? Even that eagle inside the cover concept smells completely “Primalfearish.” Ahhh…
Lineup
Michael Kiske – vocals
Dennis Ward – bass, guitar, backing vocals
Uwe Reitenauer – guitar
Günter Werno – keyboards
Dirk Bruineberg– drums
Production
Dennis Ward
Track list
1. Talk To Me
2. Power of Music
3. Broken Wings
4. Lost in Paradise
5. It Can’t Rain Forever
6. Fragile Ground
7. Hold Your Love
8. Never Too Late
9. Heaven Lost
10. My Heart is Dying
11. Breakout
12. Maybe Tomorrow
13. Thunder in the Distance
