MelodicRock.com Reviews


DOUG HOWARD
LAST MAN STANDING
MTM MUSIC 0681-26
Produced by: Doug Howard
Released: OUT / Website
Closest Relative: Kiss, Stun Leer
GENRE: Hard Rock
OVERALL: 83%

  1. Higher
  2. Whip
  3. Hold Up The Sky
  4. Hey Money
  5. Faith
  6. Tell Me
  7. Save Me
  8. The Death Of Me
  9. Living Proof
  10. Worldwide
  11. Black Betty

Apt title this, as the planned second Stun Leer album goes pear shaped, leaving Doug as the Last Man Standing.
But this is as good as, if not better than what we could have expected from a Stun Leer record.
On board are the same production team in Doug producing and Bob St John mixing. And of course the main man of SL is Doug, so it's not far removed from the debut album.
There is one major difference though. This is a far harder rocking album!
It's rawer, harder and tougher than the Stun Leer album and far more in your face.
Doug seems to have nutted out a good sound for himself here and fans of good traditional guitar driven hard rock are going to be well pleased.
He plays all the instruments, writes all the songs and as I mentioned, produced it himself...good grief!
What's really noticeable is the awesomely heavy rhythm section - funnily enough, featuring Doug!
From the first manic strains of the super heavy Higher, to the funked up hard rock of Whip it's instantly noticeable that Doug has created his own little monster here.
Hold Up The Sky is a great melodic AOR anthem ballad. A nice change of pace and a smooth melodic rocker for sure. Only the mellow-ish Living Proof comes close to being another ballad.
Save Me goes a little Led Zeppelin and anthem-ish The Death Of Me is a little lighter on than the other funked up rockers.
Worldwide reminds me a little of stadium rockers Helix. Just like Stun Leer should have been, if the Gods had been with them.
Another positive for the album is the pro mix by Bob St John. So often these one-man band efforts don't come together cohesively - they sound a little hollow. Not so here, this really sounds like a full band at work.
BOTTOM LINE: This is a great album for those that loved the Stun Leer album or like pumped up hard rock in the vein of 80's Kiss or a heavier more rocking Billy Squier.
PRODUCTION: 85% SONGS: 83% VIBE: 80%ATTITUDE: 85%
ESSENTIAL FOR: All Stun Leer fans and fans of good funked up hard rock.
DISCOGRAPHY:Stun Leer . Last Man Standing



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