Album review: JAMES LABRIE – Beautiful Shade Of Grey

JAMES LABRIE - Beautiful Shade Of Grey

InsideOut Music [Release date 20.05.22]

The latest solo offering from James LaBrie stems from his involvement on the Eden’s Curse track “No Holy Man’ (a real highlight on their 2011 album ‘Trinity’) and a subsequent support slot for the band on a Dream Theater tour. Then, a chance meeting at Glasgow Airport between Eden’s Curse mainman Paul Logue and LaBrie led to this collaboration.

Fans will find ‘Beautiful Shade Of Grey’ subtantially different to previous solo albums. The last, ‘Impermanent Resonance’ (2013), was feted by our reviewer John Stefanis and even had cookie monster vocal effects (not from LaBrie but from drummer Peter Wildoer). And before that ‘Elements Of Persuasion’ (2005) and ‘Static Impulse’ (2010) were both made in the midst of early millennium nu-metal: vibrant and totally convincing.

Only Marco Sfogli has been retained from the earlier albums and here the Italian is mostly mellow, embellishing rather then energising proceedings whilst Logue himself contributes acoustic guitar and bass, with Eden’s Curse colleague Christian Pulkkinen on keys and LaBrie’s son Chance on drums. All do a fine job.

The early preview track ‘Devil In Drag’ is the standout, characterised by an infectious rhythm and stellar chorus. It gets reprised in an electric version which emphasises the dichotomy in this album; many tracks may have been enhanced by a more “electric” approach but the decision seems to have been taken to keep things pared back. The track ‘Hit Me Like A Brick’ could almost be ‘Devil In Drag’ Part 2 which, frankly, is a bit lazy.

But the acoustic/electric groove that is ‘Devil In Drag’ is otherwise not duplicated and a possible musical direction, and opportunity, for the album passed over. Instead there is a clutch of attractive if fairly uneventful tunes like ‘SuperNova Girl’ and ‘Wildflower’. And the one cover ‘Ramble On’ adds nothing to the original (although perhaps the spiritual inspiration for the whole album). Of course a singer like LaBrie can lift the ordinary and he does.

LaBrie is heard in fine fettle throughout and the vocal melodies and harmonies are excellent. The album is a complete change from the bombastic earlier stuff, and indeed his regular job, and the hope might be that even at this stage the Canadian could reach a wider audience: those who would shrink from Dream Theater’s intricate and demanding prog metal. ***1/2

Review by David Randall

Album review (Impermanent Resonance, 2013)
Feature (‘Elements Of Persuasion’, 2005)

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

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 3 November 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 29 October 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 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)