Rising

Power Ride was a fantastic success for this Swiss hard rock band, in their country and in Germany too. After the promising Moving Force, Power Ride was the corroboration : from now one Gotthard - the other well known Swiss hard rock band - would not be alone. However, bad news arrived at the same time : singer Pete Wiedmer is sick and must leave the band :( When we were in Wacken last year, we saw the live performance of Shakra with their new singer Mark Fox. I was smashed by his voice. The guy is a clone of Pete and if Shakra didn't officially mentioned the departure of Pete, nobody would have notice the difference. That the good point here :) So here we go with their fourth studio album, Rising, a promising title. The opener leaves no doubts to the listener : they come to kick our ass. Now or Never - with its power riff and its hunting melodic chorus - slaps you right in the face. If you were still sleeping, this is what I call an explosive wake-up call. Welcome on board ! The second track doesn't really leave me the time to take my breath. Done Me Wrong is a kind of boogy-rock song (Bonfire meets Whitesnake). The tempo is slow but the killing chorus stays in your mind forever. Another high-class track if you ask me. At this stage, Shakra resuscitate old Gotthard. Too Good For Me - the third rocket - accelerates and this time AC/DC would salute this bombastic song. What a chorus my friends, what a hunting riff. Topnotch !!! The classic Swiss hard rock ballad is also invited to the party. I Will Be There, a typical sweet and sour song that Scorpions doesn't know to write anymore. Rising High - heavy and groovy - walks again on Gotthard/Krokus ground, but the young student is giving here a lesson to the masters. Little stories, Sign In The Sky, Run Away, Fight The Fire and My Life - My World are similarly classic, yet ingenious. The album ends with the wonderful Trapped that even Peavy from Rage would congratulate. A mixture of power riff and arabesque ambiance. World class :) If you are a fan of Gotthard, Krokus, Bonfire, Harem Scarem or White Lion, don't miss this one for all the money of the world. I am going soon to Greece for my annual holidays. Last year, Harem Scarem's Weight Of The World was stuck in the CD-player of my car. This year Rising will take that place as this album is the best tribute ever made to what I call vintage melodic hard rock. Buy or die !!!