Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Colosseum II
Label: MCA Records
Released: 1977
Runtime: 42:37
Rating: 4.5/5
In 1977, with jazz fusion at its commercial peak thanks to Weather Report’s »Heavy Weather« (1977) and Return to Forever’s »Romantic Warrior« (1976), the British jazz rock fusion supergroup Colosseum II went out on one last assault with the album »War Dance«. The lineup was drumming powerhouse Jon Hiseman (ex-Colosseum), guitar virtuoso Gary Moore (ex-Skid Row, Thin Lizzy), keyboard wizard Don Airey (ex-Cozy Powell’s Hammer) and nimble bassist John Mole. Moore was already a respected name in the rock world by then, yet Colosseum II just couldn’t score any commercial success with their two previous albums, »Strange New Flesh« (1976) and »Electric Savage« (1977), even though those were among the best things the British jazz rock fusion scene had to offer, on ‘turbo drive’.
On »War Dance« too, Colosseum II kept going with their rhythmically ‘supersonic’, mostly instrumental jazz rock fusion, where their only serious competition at the time was their fellow countrymen in Brand X. It all rested on Moore’s lightning-fast guitar runs and melancholic solos, Airey’s richly varied keyboard arrangements and Hiseman’s intelligent drum fills, backed up by Mole’s mighty bass lines.
These strengths already marked the opening burner »War Dance«, which was soaked in high-voltage energy, the kind that, thanks to Moore’s untamed guitar maneuvers, left plenty of hard rockers of the day looking pale, while Airey’s keyboard passages supplied a generous dose of pomp. »Major Keys«, dressed in brighter, ambient shades, was defined by funk-tinged bass lines and playful guitar-and-keyboard harmonies. On »Put It That Way« you can pick up plenty of similarities with Return to Forever from the »Romantic Warrior« era. The only non-instrumental piece was the solid jazz fusion ballad »Castles«, which featured Moore on vocals.
»The Inquisition« was one of the hardest-hitting moments in Colosseum II’s short story, with Moore’s hard rock nature, often well hidden otherwise, coming through more and more clearly. A fun dose of flamenco rhythms did a great job of adding some extra Spanish-Inquisition atmosphere. »Fighting Talk« was soaked in Moore’s trademark, slightly bluesy guitar variations, backed up by potent rhythmic nuances. »Star Maiden-Mysterioso-Quasar« was made up of three shorter sections that showed off the incredible eclecticism of a four-piece greased with every virtuoso trick in the book. And the winning finish came courtesy of the supersonic minestrone »Last Exit«, which featured a gourmet Moore solo.
With »War Dance« Colosseum II hit their artistic peak, crafting eclectic jazz fusion on ‘turbo drive’, but even though it was their most mature effort, they once again failed to land the commercial response they were after. Colosseum II held together until 1978, when the same lineup that recorded »War Dance«, along with Hiseman’s wife Barbara Thompson on saxophone, played on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s album »Variatons«. After that, everyone went their own musical way. Moore briefly returned to Thin Lizzy, Airey became a member of hard rock icons Rainbow, Hiseman got busy with the international jazz formation United Jazz + Rock Ensemble and revived Colosseum in 1994, while Mole became a sought-after session musician who worked with Barbra Streisand, among others.
Lineup
Gary Moore – electric and acoustic guitar, vocals (4)
Don Airey – keyboards, tubular bells
John Mole – bass guitar
Jon Hiseman – drums, percussion
Production
Martin Levan and Jon Hiseman
Track list
1. Wardance (6:09)
2. Major Keys (5:18)
3. Put It This Way (3:42)
4. Castles (5:50)
5. Fighting Back (5:54)
6. The Inquisition (5:50)
7. Star Maiden / Mysterioso / Quasar (6:24)
8. Last Exit (3:30)
