PVM 2016
High ‘n’ mighty offering from melodic hard rock project that offers creatures comfort for those about to get their kicks.
No Place Like Home
On a killer album spree, singer Phil Vincent can’t seem to stop in his pursuit of a sonic hook, but this is where tunes come to rest and stay. Still, driven by Damian D’Ercole’s guitars, “No Place Like Home” – the band’s fourth outing – is arguably their most assertive work, what with anthems like “Talk To Me” and “Stand Up” that bookend the record, and it’s an album which creates a sense of perpetual motion.
“Dreamer” may careen to standard power balladry, yet one would find it difficult to not be sucked in the cut’s sway, and there’s no escape from infectious riffs and memorable choruses, so the polyphonic claustrophobia of “The Walls Are Closing In” serves as a ruse. Such a deceptively static moment is ultimately ruined and turned into a rich tapestry on the 16-minute “Epic Failure” which has four songs unfold an arresting drama before the listener’s mind eye.
Some pieces would do nicely without high-octane shredding applied to a solo, although this hardly effects the momentum brought home here. Here’s finally a place to slow down and let the music do the rocking.
****1/4
