Album review: DAVE BICKLER – Darklight
Deko Music [Release date 19.04.19]
Amazingly this is the debut solo album from former Survivor vocalist Dave Bickler, most famous for the voice on that band’s classic anthem ‘Eye Of The Tiger’. A solo album has long been rumoured and now we finally get to hear it. On ‘Blacklight’ he is joined by drummer Ryan Hoyle (Collective Soul, Paul Rodgers), bassist Brad Smith (Blind Melon), and guitarist Stephen DeAcutis (Corey Glover). Producing the album is Steven DeAcutis (Corey Glover, Tyketto).
‘Hope’ was the lead single, a statement of the album’s intent to find good things in the perilous world we live in today. Bickler mixes in his love of 90’s rock into ‘Time’ and ‘Lights’, both feature plenty of guitar and a heavy rhythm section. Perhaps not what many would be expecting, however these are strong songs and suit his singing.
Despite the harder edged sound on the majority of the album, ‘Magic’ has that timeless melodic rock sound, showing that Bickler has lost none of his vocal power. ‘Always You’ would fit easily onto a Night Ranger album, a neat little hard rocker.
Don’t go expecting a melodic rock album in the mould of Survivor, instead what Dave Bickler and his fellow musicians have created is a modern sounding rock album. ‘Darklight’ took some ten years to complete and here’s hoping we get some more new music from Dave Bickler in a quicker timeframe next time. ***1/2
Review by Jason Ritchie
Gig review (March 2019)
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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024
In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections
Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)