Sometimes I get a few records to listen to and review. If you ask me, it happens all too rarely because there is hardly anything more fun than getting an idea of a new band or a new record for the first time. That’s why I’m extra excited about this new record by Tongue, stay tuned and I’ll tell you why. Firstly, you get to get an idea of what kind of music it’s really about. It’s of course a plus if it’s a genre that you’re a bit passionate about, but since I’m something of an omnivore, most of it is of great interest!
This turned out to be exactly what the advance information indicated, namely melodic hard rock as it sounded in the good old days. It’s really not about any Heavy Metal but about classic hard rock. It seems to have its roots in the 70s, which is quite clearly noticeable in the guitar riff. Overall, the guys play very solid music. They are in harmony and you can tell that they really love this!
And you know what? So do I! I was completely taken during the first listen. I wasn’t expecting such a competent album. Not because I shouldn’t have, but because it simply takes quite a while between gems these days. People have become a bit stingy with ratings in the old days…
But this is an album that I immediately felt would be worth its weight in gold. The only thing that I react to, and it’s really not a big “problem” is that the vocals don’t really have the power that a really skilled vocalist could contribute. I can live with that and after listening a few more times I realize that it’s actually not a problem at all. If it’s not a world-class vocalist who is found at the microphone, it’s instead someone with a sense of what is being conveyed. This is an album that I really support and recommend. If you like classic riff-based hard rock, you’ll like this!
