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Places Of Power: Now Is The Hour

Places Of Power: Now Is The Hour

Melodic Hard Rock
Rating: 4.5/5.0

Frontiers/Blistering Records (USA)
www.myspace.com/placesofpower
Added January 31, 2009
Review: Craig Hartranft

Places Of Power is the name of a new collaboration between to veteran musicians, Bruce Turgon (ex Foreigner, Shadow King, Lou Gramm) and Philip Bardowell (ex Criss, Magdalen). Turgon you may well know, but the latter gentleman may be less familiar to you. However, his musical rap sheet includes work with Mike Love, Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys, and he did have a solo album, 'In The Cut,' with Frontiers in 2005. Most recently he has been the worship leader at The Vibe Church in California. Together, Turgon and Bardowell create a formidable rock presence. They fit so well together they could have been twins at birth.

'Now Is The Hour' is blessed with excellent song composition and talented performances by all contributors. The mixing nobs were handled by the skillful Dennis Ward. The lead guitar work was delivered by Scott McKinstry who appeared on Turgon's 2005 'Outside Looking In.' Bardowell handles all the vocals, and Turgon does the rest. The third blessing of Place Of Power's debut is the vibrant passion of Bardowell's vocals so clearly evident on such songs as 'One Day, 'Make Me Believe' and 'Desires Of Our Hearts,' just to pick a few. Yet, the better thing is when all these characteristics gel together, and they do so completely on the work. There's foundational melodic rockers like 'Always,' and then ripping hard rockers like 'In Your Wildest Dreams.' Then POP pulls out all the stops getting hard, heavy, and rolling on 'Make Me Believe' and the blistering 'Path Of Least Resistance.' This is top shelf stuff like a good single malt scotch.

If you like your hard rock melodic and sometimes hard hitting, but mostly passionate, you will love Places Of Power. Heavier and meatier than the most recent Last Autumn's Dream, 'Now Is The Hour' is an impressive debut from Bruce Turgon and Philip Bardowell. Very recommended!

In Short

If you like your hard rock melodic and sometimes hard hitting, but mostly passionate, you will love Places Of Power. Heavier and meatier than the most recent Last Autumn's Dream, 'Now Is The Hour' is an impressive rock and roll debut from Bruce Turgon and Philip Bardowell.

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