Warrior
2008
When I look at this album cover my mind immediately recalls the front of Alice Cooper's classic "Schools Out". Well these guys don't sound like Alice Cooper yet vocalist/guitarist Sean Kelly's band wear some other 70's hard rock influences on their sleeves. I easily hear some Thin Lizzy, KISS, Cheap Trick and others yet rather than go for a straight retro sound these influences are occasionally mixed with 80's hard rock as well. Unfortunately instead of being a smooth, even blend it's more of a collision as the two styles don't quite mix well enough. I certainly think that Kelly has a fine voice with a decent range, but too many songs tend to be far too polished. They show some hints of shooting for hard rock grooves yet too often the case tends to be that everything gets coated in a big sugary shell that smooths down any edges that may have existed. Pop hooks are one thing, but I get the impression that part of this act wants to be hard rock and the other wants to accessible pop rock and the end result isn't really enough to appease fans of either style. The talent is evident here and they even get some guest help from the likes of former G-n-R guitar slinger Gilby Clarke and former Whitesnake/Quiet Riot bass player Rudy Sarzo, but the direction seems a little confused to the end result is really just a somewhat bland sounding album.
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