First off when I opened the envelope that contained the promo and saw the singer on the rear of the sleeve, my first thought was “hasn’t Rick Wakeman lost a lot of weight?” That’s totally irrelevant to the album’s contents, but I remember my editor telling me how important first impressions are!
For those who’ve not heard of him, Bert Heerink is a man who has been performing since the early 70’s, and who is perhaps best known for fronting Vandenberg in the 80’s, pet project of guitarist Adrian Vandenberg who went on to shape Whitesnake’s big haired MTV heyday. Add to that intro the fact that the label producing this CD calls itself AOR Heaven, and the pedigree of some of the writers, including Tony Martin, it’s a good bet that this is not an album to excite the extreme metal fans who often read metalteamuk.
This is an album of unashamed melodic rock, crafted to appeal to those who find themselves drawn to Foreigner and Cheap Trick for their daily dose of lighter waving music. In that way, this is an album that, depending on your viewpoint, is either timeless or dated. Bert Heerink’s vocals are clean and strong, and despite having been singing live for over three and a half decades, he carries a good rock sustain, and is able to cleanly hit high notes with apparent ease. Guitars are played with workmanlike skill, and the rhythm section is solid and keeps time like a metronome. Opener ‘Panic Attack’ feeds into ‘April’ with an ease and skill doubtless born from so many years singing, whilst ‘Falling Down’ is a classic rock ballad with massive melodic choruses. “Whoa-whoa’s”, and “yeah-yeah’s” abound throughout, with no surprises or departures from classic rock.
If your thing is corpse paint, spikes, and Satanic metal, after barely 30 seconds of the first track you will have crushed this CD under your New Rocks whilst frothing at the mouth! If, however, classic melodic rock is what makes you happy, be ready to plaster on a grin.
http://www.bertheerink.nl
http://www.aorheaven.com
