Wilde Starr - Arrival
Wilde Starr is a female fronted Band and its management says in the vein of Vicious Rumors, Judas Priest and Evanesence.
Ok, I can agree with the Vicious Rumors vibes. No wonder if you know that Dave Starr who plays bass and guitars on this album is also the bassplayer of Vicious Rumors over the last 22 years. But Judas Priest and Evanesence ? We will see what this review find out. London Wilde is the name of the female frontgirl and Jim Hawthorne completes the band on drums. After a short symphonic intro the song Rose in the dark opens this debut album with a pumping riff and speedy begin. The first important impression is that London Wilde is not a female frontlady in the line of Tarja of other amounts of singing elvions on this planet....no, London owns a strong and clear rock voice more in the tradition of female fronted 80's bands. The song breaks in the middle into a melodic part and a short background anchorman voice before it continues furious with a unbelievable first scream of London Wilde. Wow, didn't hear a female scream like this for a long time. Now it is speed time again with machine gun like guitar riffing. The second powerful scream leads the song to a longer guitar part before it ends in union with London's backing vocals. Amazing start in this album. The titletrack Arrival starts with a mystical intro and the following guitar part remembers me to Queensryche's Operation Mindcrime. The song comes with deeper dark vocals and is more played in midtempo with symphonic background keys also played by London Wilde. In the refrain the vocals are changing from melodic high in the back to dark in the front. After a short guitar break the song ends with Tony Iommi like riffing. By the way it can be said that Dave Starr has his own guitar style. Sometimes influenced by US Powermetal bands of the past, sometimes with progressive and sometimes with a little industrial touch. Another short intro leads the third track Touching god to a drumpart and dark, Sabbath-like guitars. Mystical keys in the back interrupted from hectic vocals and riffs. This song has definetely its epic moments, but it is a song that will not be remembered like the first two. The next song Rise has that industrial touch in the beginning and continues with lots of speed. The lead guitar could also stay on one of the Vicious Rumors albums. London Wilde is really shouting this time. Screaming high in the powerful refrain . A slower midpart brings her back screaming again. An awesome lon guitar solo ends this song. Down to the sun starts slowly...a ballad? No !! Pumping guitars follow, but chaning with balladesque parts. So the heart of this song is the melodic guitar solo and it fades out with a long instrumental part. This song has definetely his moments in the music not so much in the vocals.
The following In this world opens up with typical power metal guitars. Seems that I have heard this before...hm don't know yet. But it is a well known part. The vocals start immediately with dark and progressive metal touch. This song wants to show us our world like it is in these days, so the whole track is surrounded by darkness and full of fear before it find its way in an melodic end.
Killer riff intro and a high scream - thats the start of Generation next. 80's metal guitar leads and midtempo vocals taking speed in between. This could be a song from the mighty 80's heroes Omen or Vicious Rumors. Uncompromising work that comes directly to the point. How is our next generation? Track 8 is Nevermore. Lovely intro-is this the ballad of the album ? Silent vocals - yes, we could describe this song as ballad or semi-ballad. The sad, silent vocals dominate, the refrains are overlayed with strong guitars. Queensryche influenced I would say. But London Wilde can't hold it the whole song, she has to bring her screams (that's her trademark, I see) again. This is not a cheesy ballad like from many other female fronted bands. This is only wonderful music with an acoustic part in the end. Mindcrime again? Voice in the silence starts like that. It remembers me for a short time. Following the amazing vocals with all the facettes she owns and one of the best refrains of the whole album. This song is very guitar dominated. Straight forward with progressive elements. The last song The Chain starts similar to the first song in the beginning. It marks the red line that leads through the whole album with all the fantastic, but dark lyrics of London Wilde. The song speeds in with straight guitar lines. The vocals are in between melodic and shouting. Refrain cannot kick like in other songs of this album but the guitars are real heavy and...again...US Metal orientated. A great solo ends this debut.
This album is a debut, but it don't sound like one. Here it shows all the experience the musicians got through their carreer.
For me it has its very own style and I like the rocking voice of London Wilde. Better than all that second row opera girls in other bands. I think the influences are bands from the 80's, thats Dave Starr's background. But also in bands like Queensryche and Black Sabbath. The veins of Judas Priest and Evanesence I don't see in their music. But the mixture of powerful music and variable vocals makes this band and album as a must to check out. Horns up !!
Points: 8/10
review by Kerbinator |
