Storming Heaven - Life In Paradise
Tracks: Razor Farm Wanda Wire Crossing My Heart Jesse's Journey a) Cross The Line b) Red Knight c) The Passage (Instr.) d) Dream House Time Machine Don't Find It Amusin' She Wolf Life In Paradise Producer: Storming Heaven Label: MTM Music Year: 1996 Total Playing Time: 50 mins
This has been around for a while and has received a mixed set of reviews. The term 'Progressive AOR' keeps appearing in the reviews. Curiosity finally got the better of me and I went out and bought this one.
The first 3 tracks don't throw any surprises with a sound that's a combination of CITA and Survivor.
Then we get to the 4th track and a glance at the track time remaining display of your CD player starts off at 18:44 m:s. Rub your eyes and look again. It now at 18:37m:s. An AOR song lasting almost 20 mins !!! Don't AOR always last somewhere around the 4:20 m:s mark ? The real question is do they manage to keep your interest during this Magnus Opus. Cross The Line has quite a few progressive trademarks such as a spoken section. With Red Knight, the band hit us with a blast of Westcoast style groove. Having got the listener grooving along, the instrumental passage (groan…..) slows it all down by having swirling and tinkling synthesisers that wouldn't be out of place on a Tangerine Dream or Jean Michel Jarre album. The final part features a drum pattern that has your thinking Peter Gabriel, or even something more dance orientated. Breathless and almost whispered vocals are used in the build up of this song. With about 1:30 m:s left the band get up to speed and semi 'rock-out' until the end of the track.
On Don't Find It Amusin' the band have a go a bar-room boogie/rock 'n' roll number, but it sounds to clinical to be effective.
The spoken vocals are back out for the start of She Wolf that has the band in their most rocking vein. In the middle of it all, the keyboard player gets over excited and the progressive tag applies again.
The final track comes on like a heavier version of Survivor.
With that long track stuck smack bang in the middle, this album really limits it's appeal. I admire the band for having the balls to experiment with the AOR formula. If I'm in suitably relaxed mood then, I listen to it and think 'I like this, it's different'. At other times I find myself thinking, and probably screaming at the hi-fi, 'I wish they'd just get on with it and stop all this messing about'. The Crossing My Heart ballad and the two closing heavier numbers work best for me. An interesting diversion, rather than an essential purchase.
Rating: 6/7
