TNT
Atlantis AOR Heaven

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Comments: Wasting absolutely no time after last year’s first release with new frontman Tony Mills, TNT follows up The New Territory with the surprisingly flippant and playful Atlantis. While TNT has always been known for springing odd compositions (“Sapphire”) and cover songs (“What a Wonderful World”) on the masses, the overall vibe of Atlantis shows that the band has severed ties with the past and are forging on with new energy and a reborn creativity, healing whatever scars led to Mills coming on board in the first place. You can hear in each note TNT enjoying making music again …

When you hear the opening track, “Hello Hello,” it immediately brings to mind the past summer, a feel-good song complete with soaring backing vocals, much in the way Tony Harnell used to record them, with Mills accompanying himself in four-part harmony. While a simple chorus, it’s closer to the kind of music they made on Tell No Tales, with “Hello hello hello, how are you? It was good to see you,” the uncomplicated yet effective refrain. Any TNT fan will embrace this anthem.

TNT always had two main components, with guitar god Ronni Le Tekro never playing second fiddle to the singer. When you hear the next song, “Peter Sellers,” you’ll get those quirky, trademarked Le Tekro leads, these even blues-infused. It’s tough to remember another TNT song quite this carefree and fun, and if you listen closely, you may hear Kato joining in the backing vocals. The breakdown before the solo owns a smooth groove, and Le Tekro plays a bit more noisy, chaotic and brilliant solo; how does he create those sounds with his guitar?

“Tango Girl” is the first song that hearkens back to older TNT, with a distorted riff and Mills lead vocals mirroring what Harnell did back in the day. Again, though, TNT oftentimes avoids the regular verse-verse-chorus song construct. This begins with the chorus, leads into the verse, breaks off into more distorted riffing. Although the band might not admit it, each CD they release will have to show Mills can hit the highest notes around as a singer, not a screamer, and he amazes here with his fluidity on the higher passages. Diesel Dahl on drums also joins the quirkiness of the composition by playing speedy, intricate fills. Musically, this one kicks ass.

You’ll get the only real ballad on “Me and Dad,” an acoustic-led ode to a father figure, obviously. If you had to describe the track, “dreamy” would certainly be apropos, with an airy atmosphere and lyrics seemingly from father to son, especially with lines like, “"Hey listen son, you oughta know. I've been a young man, just like you. I've had my dreams, a future, too." The track becomes more complex later; it actually nears eight minutes, outside the norm for TNT. This is a clear highlight of Atlantis.

Speaking of, the title track “Atlantis” could actually fit on something like Knights of the New Thunder. With its heavy, throttling Le Tekro riff and fantasy lyrics, it could have been written in 1984 or today. Mills effortlessly handles the heavier songs; of course, if you’ve heard his new solo CD Vital Signs he can get a hell of a lot heavier when need be. Le Tekro’s solo is vintage TNT, sheer speed and melody.

“Taste of Honey” is akin to “Hello Hello,” leaning heavily on Mills’ vocal prowess and uplifting, almost like “Undercover Angel” from Alan O’Day in the ‘70s. There is little doubt that Mills and Le Tekro found kindred spirits in their affinity for ‘60s and ‘70s pop music, and it shines through here.

Drinking songs always rule; just ask Def Leppard or AC/DC. TNT decides to join in the booze parade with probably one of the lowlights of the CD, “Bottle of Wine.” It’s just a tad vacuous, with handclaps, a cheerleading section and an uber-repetitive chorus. This is one of the kinds of songs fans decried on The New Territory.

Atlantis closes with “Had It, Lost It.” Again, those trademark Le Tekro riffs carry the track along, and Mills sings in a lower tone during the verses, which are slightly droning. But the chorus impresses, a high energy shout out, Mills again showing he has zero problem slaying on the high notes. Dahl pummels away, with bassist Victor Borge pulling the plow as Le Tekro shreds away in his unique, incomparable style.

While TNT took a beating for The New Territory, in many ways, they seem undaunted and without a doubt, completely unapologetic. This is who TNT is today; they are never going to write “10,000 Lovers” again. The fact is, Harnell didn’t want to record “10,000 Lovers” again anyway, so that wasn’t a race anyone would win regardless of the singer. All in all, Atlantis takes them a step or two closer to the past, while solidifying and clarifying their new direction ... plus it's just a lot of fun to crank up and sing along to.

www.tnttheband.com

Track Listing:
1. Hello, Hello
2. Peter Sellers Blues
3. Baby's Got Rhythm
4. Tango Girl
5. Me And Dad
6. Atlantis
7. The Taste of Honey
8. Bottle of Wine
9. The Missing Kind
10. Love of My life
11. Had It, Lost It, Found It

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.1/10