Ten
Stormwarning

February 2011
Released: 2011, Frontiers Records
Rating: 4.5/5
Reviewer: Waspman

England’s Ten have long been a beacon for hard rock fans, signifying excellence and high quality music. The Gary Hughes-lead outfit released 8 top-flight albums from 1996 – 2006, but then basically disappeared. Hughes kept himself busy releasing solo albums and writing for others (Bob Catley), but Ten was conspicuously silent. Now after five years the band has returned reinvigorated with revamped line up.



Right from the opening chords of “Endless Symphony”, it’s clear that Ten fans will not be disappointed with the new album. The song is packed full of Hughes’ trademark melodic vocals, crunchy guitars, and melodic washes of keyboards. As expected, this is the formula that carries all ten tracks on the album, and each one works beautifully. There are variations on the theme though, whether it’s the slight sleaze-rock feel of “Book of Secrets” or the pop hooks throughout “The Hourglass and the Landslide”. You definitely know you’re listening to a Ten album, but it’s good to know that the band is still open to experimentation after all these years.



As you’d expect from a band that pays attention to the details, STORMWARNING is basically flawless. Each song is crafted perfectly and perfectly balanced the guitar crunch with the melodies. It’s extremely early in the year, but this album is already a contender for the Top 20 of 2011.