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Mad Max have always had a cult status in the melodic rock world after their 1987 album ‘Night Of Passion’ received rave reviews but never sold like it should have. There have been various Mad Max line-ups in between times but it is not until now that the line-up that made that album are back, including Michael Voss, who has been very busy in the intervening years including working with Silver, Casanova and Michael Schenker.
Listen to this album and you’d think it was from the 80′s bar the modern production. There are some great rock anthems on here from opener ‘Rocklahoma’ through to ’40 Rock’, the latter has a definate Casanova feel. ‘Fever Of Love’ is simply immense, bringing to mind the mighty Sweet on the harmony vocals and the big guitar riff keeps you coming back for another listen. Wig Wam would love a song like this one.
The album can tread water on a couple of songs notably ‘Metal Edge’ which is as cliched as the title may suggest and ‘True Blue’. Instrumental ‘True Blue’ is not bad but it sounds out of place with the rest of the album which is very upbeat.
Mad Max certainly acheived their aim to follow-up ‘Night Of Passion’, aided by the fact that Michael Voss is quite possibly singing as good as he as ever done and has lost none of his range. Party like its 1987 all over again and crank it up!
***1/2
Jason Ritchie
Another view…
Never heard of Mad Max but checking the biography reveals that they are a German rock band from the 1980’s who almost released an album in the US back in 1987 if not for their Dutch record company at the time…jump forward 25 years in time, if not in style of the music, and we find Mad Max on the verge of releasing an album into the US at last.
Mad Max consist of main man and guitarist Jürgen Breforth, vocalist Michael Voss, bassist Roland Bergmann and drummer Axel Kruse.
Kick off track “Rocklahoma” sounds like an old Scorpion’s song but is spoilt back a bridge that sounds like it’s from another song. Second track “40 Rock” is poor with a crap chorus which even mentions “bodyrock”…It’s not until track 7 when “Black Swan” turns things around briefly with an almost Uriah Heep like song – the biography states that “no keyboards were used” but the intro and post chorus instrumental bits sound just like keyboards to me!! “The Chant” perhaps unsurprisingly has a bit of a chant at the beginning and the end and is a passable track with extremely gravel-like vocals at times. “Fever of Love” has a nice chorus but poor verses!! Instrumental “True Blue” closes the album – nice guitar playing spoilt by the drums that just don’t fit!!
Sorry but this album is 25 years too late – Mad Max have written an album that feels like Euro-rock from the ‘80’s and that just doesn’t cut it in 2012. According to the biography this is a “haunting release” – well I suppose that it is going to haunt me for a while…
*1/2
Phil Berisford
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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
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