MelodicRock.com Reviews


INTO THE LIGHT
TIM DONAHUE & KELLY HANSEN

Frontiers FRCD 080
Produced by: Tim Donahue

Released: DEC / Website
Relatives: Unruly Child, Air Pavillion
GENRE: Hard Rock
OVERALL: 80%

  1. No Turning Away
  2. Into The Light
  3. Time To Run
  4. Acceleron
  5. Skyrocket
  6. Live Today
  7. Tonight
  8. Devil In Her Eyes
  9. No Regrets
  10. To Your Heart
  11. Alien Talk

This is a good album for several reasons, but in order for it to reach the right audience, it has to be reviewed correctly.
Given that the album will be released as a joint Hansen/Donahue project in Europe, rather than as a Tim Donahue solo album as it was in Japan, there is further chance it may be over looked by those that might come to love it.
To explain, Tim Donahue is a guitar virtuoso that has 2 previous solo albums out in Japan. This is his third, on which he enrolled the help of the fabulous Kelly Hansen of Hurricane, Air Pavilion & Unruly Child.
Now Hansen has bought his own talents and style to this album, therefore making it more a joint project.
This album primarily is a guitar shredders dream. A definite display of Tim's awesome and I have to add underrated guitar skills.
It is a highly technical album of guitar acrobatics and musical versatility. That said, it also contains plenty of hard rocking riffs and some big chunky chords.
What Kelly Hansen does is bring the album back towards the mainstream melodic rock audience. His vocals are impeccable as expected and his presence will cause some more traditional rock fans to investigate this and hopefully get a lot out of it.
The vocal style on Into The Light are very much a mix of what we heard on Unruly Child and more recently on Air Pavillion.
As AP was a concept album, so is this in a way, as the music does not follow the traditional path of verse, chorus, verse, bigger chorus!
Rather it flows between songs and within itself, only with repeated listens does the tapestry of the melodies become apparent.
Tim Donahue is also capable of slowing things down, as is evident on Live Today, a beautiful soft acoustic pop song, featuring some fine slow guitar work.
BOTTOM LINE: A great album for guitar lovers that shows Donahue is a talent to be reckoned with. Kelly Hansen fans will again be pleased, although old Hurricane fans might be left wondering what it's all about.
But for those that like some occasional depth and technical playing in their music, this should fit the bill nicely.
PRODUCTION: 85% SONGS: 84% VIBE: 80%ATTITUDE: 85%
ESSENTIAL FOR: Guitar virtuoso fans, fans of technical melodic rock and some Kelly Hansen fans.
DISCOGRAPHY: .



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