Album review: PETERIK-SCHERER – Risk Everything

Frontiers Records [Release date 17.04.15]

Founding Survivor member Jim Peterik returns with his latest project featuring his latest vocal find in Marc Scherer. “Risk Everything” was written specifically to suite the vocal talents of Scherer who he first met during the recording sessions for the last Pride of Lions album (featuring another of his vocal finds in one Toby Hitchcock).

After living with “Risk Everything” for a while now, the best description is to imagine classic Survivor songs sung by Dennis DeYoung of Styx fame. Marc Scherer sounds uncannily like the former Styx vocalist on several tracks here (Thee Crescendo for example).

Most of my initial concerns about the familiarity of some of the songs disappeared after a few listens…there are so many riffs, lyric extracts, refrains and keyboard flourishes that sound just like various Survivor songs…but hey nothing wrong with that…

Title track Risk Everything kicks things off with an extended intro featuring a weird backward guitar before turning into a classic Survivor-like tune.

No need to mention specific songs as you can guess what they sound like but safe to say they are a mixture of rockier numbers and big ballads featuring lots of emotive singing from the impressive Marc Scherer. The guitar sound is perfect…guitar use and solos are exactly where required and sound just like one Frankie Sullivan…

Broken Home breaks the mould a little as it features some female backing vocals courtesy of Shoshana Bean.

The one song that bugged me for a while was How Long Is A Moment…it sounded so familiar but I just couldn’t place it until it hit me…Open Arms by Journey (as covered by Dennis DeYoung of course)…a little bit of plagiarism going on here as well!

The cover artwork is a little different featuring a dung beetle pushing the Earth across a road…just avoiding being squished by an oncoming car…well I suppose he’s risking everything as well…

Apologies for all of the Survivor references but…well…this could be a long lost Survivor release…

Improves with every play but leaves you missing the classic Survivor even more! A perfect album if you miss the essential Jimi Jamison fronted “Vital Signs” era Survivor. ****½

Review by Phil Berisford

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

Next session: Sunday 19 January

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 1 December 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 3 December 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

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)