MelodicRock.com Reviews


TALON
TALON
Now & Then/Frontiers FRCD 118
Produced by: Mikey Davis
Released: OUT NOW / Website
Relatives: Hericane Alice, Dokken
GENRE: Hard Rock
OVERALL: 92%

  1. Wrecking Ball
  2. Fire In Your Soul
  3. Still You Run
  4. Calling You Tonight
  5. Talon In My Heart
  6. Falling Star
  7. Mother Mary May I
  8. Holding You Soon
  9. All Is Not Forgiven
  10. Livin' For Your Love
  11. Rock'n'Roll Runaway

Talon have put the best part of a couple of years into the writing, pre-production and recording of this album. No wonder it sounds so good.
This is great American hard rock with a truly melodic and catchy approach.
The album also features some great guitar solos and generally all-round high class guitar onslaught.
Out of the ashes of Voxen comes Talon, with new vocalist Michael O'Mara (M Pire) and more great attitude driven melodic hard rock.
In the vein of fellow USA hard rockers Hericane Alice, (remember the Tear The House Down album?), Steelheart and also Dokken (with a higher pitched vocalist), Talon will provide your speakers with some much needed hard guitar riffs and big vocals.
Like Silent Rage, Talon will also prove as a handy antidote to those affected by the sort rocking Dokken album.
Take Fire In Your Soul for example. It's a huge rock track, with lead and rhythm guitar wailing simultaneously.
Seriously, this is one great hard rock record that gets better and better with every listen.
There seriously isn't one filler amongst the tracks, which ranks this is one of the years best harder rocking releases.
There aren't many albums out there that have opened with the power of Wrecking Ball, Fire In Your Soul and Still You Run.
Vocalist O'Mara is a little like Rush's Geddy Lee style wise, but this is not progressive, this is straight up melodic hard rock.
The chorus harmony vocals are extremely strong and again highlight what's missing on some other releases.
The piano ballad Holding You Soon highlights another side of the band, with a slow start building to a big lighter-in-the-air finale.
BOTTOM LINE: Fantastic quality melodic hard rock filled with great riffs and some of the finest lead breaks I have heard in a while. Very much a record in the traditional style of classic Dokken and US rockers like Hericane Alice, but with higher pitch vocals.
Rocking without being over the top heavy and very well written and produced.
PRODUCTION: 91% SONGS: 91% VIBE: 92%ATTITUDE: 95%
ESSENTIAL FOR: All fans of great guitar driven American rock. Fans of hard rock with higher pitched vocals.
DISCOGRAPHY:Voxen; Talon



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