Metal Heaven Records 2010

Bangalore Choir is a blast from the past. They are a band with (up to this point) only one album to their name and a short span of existence...but a loyal following nonetheless. Their debut "On Target", originally unleashed in 1992, was recently given a makeover and re-released to unanimous approval.

The line-up nowadays consists of original members David Reece on vocals, Curt Mitchell on guitars, and Danny Greenberg on bass, plus new boys Andy Susemihl on guitar, and Hans i’nt Zandt on drums. Where the original album was full of 1980s hair metal harmonies, big riffs, and was brilliantly over-the-top, Cadence is a more mature affair catering for more of an intellectual than emotional CD-buying public.

The new album is more of a natural sequel to David's solo album "Universal Language", not BC's "On Target". A lot of that is down to David's singing these days. He sounds quite difference in 2010, being meatier, chunkier, and a lot more down, dirty & gritty...in a good way...than in the early 1990s. The musicianship is changed too, following more of a straight-ahead hard rock approach that lacks the flamboyance of old. There are superb-solos galore on Cadence, but as a whole this is music that sells on it's quality, not on it's extravagance.

Best songs? Cadence is chocked full of anthemic moments. The speedy 'Power Trippin'' has a contagious chorus. 'Martyr' has an even better one. It really is absolutely huge. 'Living Your Dreams Everyday' is more understated, but arguably just as good. The gnarly 'Survival Of The Fittest' is a nice catchy track with plenty of sing along moments. 'Tomorrow' is quite different to the tracks before it, with a darker feel and more subtle structure. The groovy 'Heart Attack & Vine' is a BIG track that's definitely amongst the finest on the album.

'Still Have A Song To Sing' is a sweet slower song that's again up there with the best. 'Dig Deep' has a huge chorus big enough to get lost in for weeks. The verses are not quite so strong, but that barely seems to matter. 'Never Say Goodbye' is one of the weaker tracks on the album. It isn't by any means bad, just a tad forgettable. 'Sweet Temptation' is better, again going down the understated but loveable route. There's nothing understated about 'High On The Clouds'. It's a pounding track with a very catchy main hook. 'Spirits Too They Bleed' is a subtle track that's interesting and memorable, if not massively exciting. Final entry 'Surrender All Your Love' is a pleasant end to the album.

If you go into this album expecting a true follow-up to the original Bangalore Choir album you'll be disappointed. This is a different beast created in a different age. However, by most measures Cadence is an excellent release that arguably contains more big moments than the debut. It's hard to say whether this is a better overall album than the original, but it's fair to say you won't be disappointed.

HMC