Reviewed: August 2006
Released: 2006, Frontiers Records/Zink Music
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: Anders Sandvall
John West took over in Badlands after the singer Ray Gillen and stayed with them until they broke up. During 1997 he released his first solo album called MIND JOURNEY that was followed by PERMANENT MARK. After that he joined the progressive metal act Artension and in 1999 he was offered the task of lead singer in the Danish act Royal Hunt.
This new solo album is written and recorded with long time collaborators and friends Lonnie Park, Chris Caffery (Savatage), Jeff Plate (Savatage) and Kevin Hampton. LONG TIME…..NO SING is a bit different from what Mr. West usually does. This album is mainly delivering song oriented melodic hardrock. If you take your time and really listen to what comes out of the speakers you hear a lot of different nuances and influences of progressive hardrock and harder melodic rock. The main focus are on lead vocals and , for being a melodic hardrock album, a really edgy guitarplay.
There are 3 ballads on the 12 track album which feels descent and the whole album clocks in on 50 minutes. Some songs that rises above the others are “Fade”, “Set me Free”, “Over My Head”, “The One That Got Away”, “Falling Down” and “One More Lie”.
This is a nice album and John West delivers OK material and if you’r into melodic hardorck I think it’s right up your alley. The album doesn’t break any new grounds but works well anyway.
Videos
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Track Listing:
Let Us Pray
Fade
Set Me Free
Give Me A Sign
Highway To Roppongi
Over My Head
The One That Got Away
One More Lie
Better Believe
Puerto Amor
Lineup:
John West – lead vocals, lead guitar, b-vox
Kevin Hampton – rhythm guitar
Lonnie Park – keyboards, bass, b-vox
Chris Caffery – rhythm guitar
Jeff Plate – drums
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