Frontiers/BAM
German chart success PINK CREAM 69 returns with their eleventh album, not counting EPs and live outings. Founded in 1987 the band still has guitarist Alfred Koffler in its ranks, and bass player/producer Denis Ward has been along almost as long. The rest of the band are vocalist extraordinaire David Readman, guitarist since 2007 Uwe Reitenauer, and the latest addition, drummer Chris Schmidt (SUNSTORM). The first era of the band included vocalist Andi Deris and ended sometime after the album “Thunderdome” (2004). The second era started in 2007, I wonder if they are on the rise or in decline?
If this album had been all in the playfulness and excellence of Eastern sounding opener “Land of Confusion” and the enjoyable mix of IRON MAIDEN melody and a distinct modern touch in “Wasted Years” I´d say on the rise infinitely! Frankly speaking there is little that I don´t like here, and my main reservations are the lack of strength and refrain in songs like “Let the Thunder Roll” and “The Tide”. Twelve tracks of melodic power metal and only one I wish to remove entirely is not bad. Which one? “Find Your Soul” of cause, the rhythm is simply put wrong, the result is mundane and the need for that track is really not there. Otherwise we have solid riffs, solid vocals, solid arrangements and a stellar production from Denis Ward, as usual. But if they could have keep their initial steam up…this would have been the best album of 2013…
Track List
Land of Confusion
Wasted Years
Special
Find Your Soul
The Tide
Big Machine
Let the Thunder Roll
Right from Wrong
Passage of Time
I Came to Rock
King for One Day
Superman
www.frontiers.it www.myspace.com/pc69official
