Dangerdog Music Reviews :: © 1999 - 2023 Craig S Hartranft :: All Rights Reserved
No part of this this website, including design and music reviews,
may be reproduced in any form or by any means without
the prior written permission of the publisher.
- New Music Reviews
- |
- Archives
- |
- News
- |
- Submissions
- |
- About
- |
- |
New Music Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, AOR, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal
Recent Reviews
September 2023
- Kerrigan: Bloodmoon
- Taz: Shipwrecked, Vol 2
- Taz: Wake Up & Sweat, Vol 1
- Ronnie Romero: Too Many Lies, Too Many Masters
- The Flower Kings: Look At You Now
- Vega: Battlelines
- Blackbird Angels: Solsorte
- Primal Fear: Code Red
- Eclipse: Megalomanium
- Seventh Wonder: Mercy Falls (Reissue 2008/2023)
- Seventh Wonder: The Great Escape (Reissue 2010/2023)
August 2023
- Hurricane: Reconnected
- U.D.O.: Touchdown
- Streetlight: Ignition
- Sarayasign: The Lion's Road
- Neal Morse: The Dreamer - Joseph - Part One
- Rian: Wings
- Icon Of Sin: Legends
- Lancer: Tempest
- King Kobra: We Are Warriors
- Dark Sky: Signs Of The Time
- Hell In The Club: F.U.B.A.R.
- Kent Hilli: Nothing Left To Lose
July 2023
- Turkish Delight: Volume Two
- Winterstorm: Everfrost
- Scream Maker: Land Of Fire
- James Robledo: Broken Soul
- Houston: Relaunch III
- All For Metal: Legends
- Withering Scorn: Prophets Of Demise
- Bloodbound: Tales From The North
- Kikimora: For A Broken Dime
- Degreed: Public Address
June 2023
- Night Legion: Fight Or Fall
- Midnite City: In At The Deep End
- Pyramaze: Bloodlines
- Shakra: Invincible
- Vypera: Race Of Time
- Stardust: Kingdom Of Illusion
- Pride Of Lions: Dream Higher
- Joel Hoekstra's 13: Crash Of Life
- The Defiants: Drive
- Ray Alder: II
- Art Nation: Inception
- False Memories: Hybrid Ego System
Phoenix Rising: On the Loose
Phoenix Rising: On the Loose
Melodic (Hard) Rock / AOR
3.5/5.0
Here's an original project, Phoenix Rising, from two very talented Italian musicians: Titta Tani (Vocals/background vocals and drums) and Paolo Caucci (guitars, bass-guitar and keyboards). They both have varied backgrounds, including progressive rock and other genres. With On the Loose they combine for AOR melodic rock.
Phoenix Rising:: in studio.
Call it derivative, but the tunes on On the Loose are natural, a bit heavier, AOR melodic rock. This material would be for fans of Giant, Pride of Lions, and most any intense European melodic hard rock. On the Loose Again, Mr. Dr, Written on a Stone, and Give It a Name are examples of his heavier AOR sound. But that's not dismissing the hooks or melodies within. More traditional AOR melodic rock comes with No Lie to Say and Believe, both very catchy songs.
So, essentially, On the Loose is an AOR hybrid. While the original songs are examples of this heaver melodic AOR, especially On the Loose Again, there's a cover song that gives balance. That song is Talk to You Later, possibly the only accessible song by The Tubes; by Phoenix Rising, it's less Eighties New Wave and more hard rock. It makes me wonder if the band would do better doing cover songs: it's that good.
Bottom line: On the Loose is adequate and entertaining AOR melodic rock, definitely on the harder side of the genre. There's much promise here, both in musicianship and songwriting. Let's hope for more and better in the future. Recommended.
Tweet
In Short
Bottom line: On the Loose is adequate and entertaining AOR, and heavier, melodic rock There's much promise here, both in musicianship and songwriting. Let's hope for more and better in the future.
Find A Review
Alphabetical Index
Album of the Week
Formed in 1999 by singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Erik Martensson, Sweden's Eclipse is well into their third decade of making music. In the recent past, their recordings and reputation have ... [ Read More ]