Life
Hardline are back in the fold with their sixth album, ‘Life’, released by Frontiers Music. Harking back to their 1992 album ‘Double Eclipse’, the band produces an electric album that has a real live feel.
Hardline have had a number of line up changes over the years, but vocalist Johnny Gioeli has been a constant throughout. Joining Johnny on this outing are Alessandro Del Vecchio on keys and backing vocals, Mario Percudani on guitar, Marco Di Salvia on drums and Anna Portalupi on bass.
The album roars into life with the opening track ‘Place to Call Home’. Within the first thirty seconds you know you’re in for a treat. The songs intro echoes Judas Priest’s ‘You’ve Got Another Thing Coming’, a tip of the hat to musical royalty, then the main riff kicks in and for the next three and a half minutes, we are in Hard Rock bliss. This song is a statement declaring Hardline have arrived and gthey are taking centre stage. Thunderous guitars and pounding drums only add to this future anthem.
Helio’s sun is yet another hard rock anthem. Think AC/DC or Airbourne and you’re somewhere in the right ballpark. A modest guitar solo gives way to a very unexpected Hammond organ solo. The thing is, it shouldn’t work and yet it does, so, so well. Perhaps this will pave way to a Hammond resurgence in rock! Let’s take them back from the proggers!!!
The album continues, lightening fast guitars, punchy drums, high energy vocals. The whole band have an incredible energy about them and I think that is what gives it that live feeling. You don’t feel they’re just sat in a studio going through the motions, they are putting everything into it, blood, sweat and tears!
Other stand out songs include ‘This Love’, a real slow burner, but still harnessing that ultimate power that Johnny posses in his vocals and ‘Chameleon’. Personally, I think it had a hint of Mike Tramp and White Lion in there which can only be a good thing. Strangely the song had a very abrupt ending, the sound of a stylus being pulled of a record player almost mid way through Johnny’s final note.
I can’t write about this album without mentioning the cover of Queen’s ‘Who Want’s to Live Forever’. It is absolutely stunning. Queen are a very tough act to follow, and this song is especially tough, but Johnny nails it. It begins with just a solitary vocal, then the piano kicks in behind Johnny. It is quite possibly the crowning jewel of the album. Perhaps this song will do for Hardline what ‘Sound of Silence’ did for Disturbed.
All in all, a fantastic album. One of the best I have heard in a long time. I really hope Hardline come over the pond as I have to see these guys live.
