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The buzz in the melodic rock/metal world right now is all about
Starbreaker. Renowned singer Tony Harnell brings his ungodly vocal
prowess to this all-star cast, also featuring guitarist Magnus Karlsson
(Last Tribe), drummer John Macaluso (TNT, ARK, Yngwie), and Fabrizio
Grossi on bass, who also happened to produce the album.
The
talent in this band is palpable, but are they truly a band? Depends
on who you ask. Harnell admitted in the beginning, he had his doubts
about the project itself. It was a “feeling out” process
with Frontiers records, and by all accounts, the project could have
fallen through at any given moment. Also, the album was written
without Harnell’s input, until the vocals and lyrics were
needed. So, the entire process was atypical. The upshot? An album
with instant classics also riddled with enjoyable yet forgettable
tracks. Anytime you can get Harnell to lay down vocals on anything,
though, it’s worth it.
Starbreaker
begins with a noisy intro on “Die For You,” a heavy,
un-TNT like song, if that’s what you were hoping for. It also
has an odd lyrical moment, when Harnell sings, “You don’t
have to love me long time,” and laughs. What? Barring that
hiccup, the chorus has Harnell’s ultra-melodic stamp, and
it’s a stellar intro to a project that today is calling itself
a band.
“Lies”
is the second track, and it’ll stick in your head. You’ll
be waiting for Karlsson to unleash throughout this album, and while
he never truly does, he still adds an emotional, poignant component
to many of the songs, especially when they slow it down. Macaluso
has drummed with TNT before, and song after song, he impresses.
He is one of the highlights of the whole CD.
“Days
of Confusion” may be the best track on Starbreaker. But, it’s
not the kind of song the band wants to be known for. They want to
be heavy, they want to be metal, and yet shine on the slower, melodic
tracks. Knowing that Harnell never had a say in how the songs were
constructed and yet came up with these unbelievable vocal melodies
just goes to show his talent again. Karlsson once again seems reigned
in too much, like he didn’t want to overstep his boundaries.
Considering he wrote every song, it makes one wonder.
The
band gets noisy again on “Cradle to the Grave,” and
if you were wondering where the trademark Harnell screams went,
well, check out the end of the song. The best part of this song
might be when he puts an edge to his voice during the verses, though,
singing with attitude and an edge. To rip things up, turn your stereo
as loud as it’ll go and head to the end of the song, about
3:35 into it, and enjoy the final scream.
There
seems to be a conundrum on “Dragonfly.” This is probably
the least memorable track, but it’s where Karlsson finally
unleashes his fury. His talent is undeniable, and makes you drool
for wanting more. You’ll need to listen to this track again
and again, because this will be the direction Starbreaker heads
on the next go-round. This is Macaluso’s strongest moment
as well. Of course, it’s an instrumental, but for those of
you who wondered exactly where the metal went, it’s right
here on track 11.
They
end things with another gem, “Save Yourself.” It seems
that the band hits their stride immediately after “Cradle
to the Grave” and they bring it all together on the final
song. It’s heavy, fast, melodic, and Harnell is Harnell, which
is saying a lot.
In
recent interviews, the band is saying all the right things. “We
are a band, we are planning another album, we are touring this fall
…” and on and on. If they do include Harnell on the
songwriting process next time around, these guys will be on the
way to being industry giants. They have the talent. But, at this
time, the album misses in a few spots, and comes off sounding like
a project -- which it is. Not that a project is a bad thing, but
as a band, they’ll be that much better. |
