Revolution Saints - Light In the Dark (Vinyl)
- Gatefold
- 2017 Frontiers Records
Thank Heaven's for The Revolution Saints. Their debut album was great, but LIGHT IN THE DARK is on a whole new level. The lyrics are better, the vocals are better, and the music is WAY BETTER! This album Rocks! The first album was overloaded on ballads but on Light In The Dark, Doug gets to show what he can do when he is allowed the Freedom to Cut Loose on Guitar. This is the best Melodic/Hard Rock album of the year. Deen's vocals are stronger than ever and so is his drumming and Jack gives the ol' bass a good workout also but for me Doug Aldrich is the highlight because he was held back from his normal guitar style on the first album but the band was given full creative allowance on this album and IT SHOWS, THIS IS A MUST HAVE FOR MELODIC ROCK FANS!
Revolution Saints "Light In The Dark" ends up coming off as a spiritual slice of tasty melodic rock and roll. The title track talks about a world to see. And that world is one filled with hope and love. The songwriting revolves around lead singer-drummer Deen Castronovo's climb out of the darkness of a life he's still working through. The title track is a duet between himself and Night Ranger's Jack Blades. The two men have voices that contrast nicely adding gravitas to an already hooky guitar blitz."Freedom" has this tribal beat and features Doug Aldrich's buzz saw riffs echoing in and out of Deen's vocal assault. Lyrically the lesson inside of "Freedom" fills the heart with hope and the brain with new ideas and new energy. The riffs and structure in "Freedom" are like nothing I've ever heard on a rock record. "Ride On" is like something Roger Glover would pen. It's a progressive pop number with Castronovo singing as fast the music. A Don Airey keyboard solo would have worked nicely here.There are two power ballads on this collection. " I Wouldn't Change A Thing" recalls Journey at their Kleenex best. Deen turns in a vocal performance that rivals any of the other Journey singers. "Time Will Heal These Broken Wings"...the lyrics are up to the task of being as inspiring as the music. Castronovo has made mistakes but he understands that life is a journey (no pun intended) and that God uses mistakes to help us find our way. The song works it's way into a crescendo that contains one of the most heart felt guitar solos I've heard in a long time. This is old school meets new school production.The other slow tune is "Can't Run Away From Love". A beautiful piano piece that again summons the power ballad gods and brings down a heavenly melody with Deen again channeling his peers from Journey past. Other tunes of note: The Churchilian "Never Surrender" with it's massive hooks and big guitars and soaring vocals.The radio friendly "Running On The Edge" with plenty of hit single potential. Who will play it though? And the straight ahead smoker, "Take You Down". In conclusion this is some of the best power rock I've run into in some time. It's not too pretentious. Not too glossy. It can be raw, it can be smooth. It's everything a rock album should be. And it's played and sung with the kind of professionalism that was once a hallmark of music a few decades ago. A six star button please.
