Album review: GABRIELLE DE VAL – Kiss In A Dragon Night

Escape Music [Release date 17.02.23]

Gabrielle de Val has been involved in the rock scene since 1987 when she created the band Yin-Yang, which would later be called D’Val. They never recorded a full album, however, fast forward to 2010 when de Val along with Alfonso Samos, David Erick and Alex Morell reappeared as The Val. They released their debut album ‘Back’, followed by ‘Heading for the Surface’ (2015) and ‘King Ocelot’(2020).

‘Kiss in a Dragon Night’, Gabrielle de Val’s first solo album, features guest vocalists Steve Overland (FM/Lonerider), Mick Devine (The Roads/Seven), Robin McAuley (Black Swan/MSG), Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen) and Terry Brock (Strangeways), as well as musicians such as Gary Pihl (Boston/Sammy Hagar), Eric Ragno (Joe Lynn Turner/Babys), Johan Kullberg (HammerFall) and Fredrik Folkare (Nordic Union).

As Gabrielle de Val herself explains all of the musicians involved have “given me more than I could have ever imagined and with songs that I have put all my soul and dedication into.”

The romping hard rock fun that is ‘When Midnight Comes’, featuring Mark Boals, is an early album highlight. Both singers suit each other style well and the chorus is insanely catchy.

Further into the album many other treats lie in wait for the listener including the AOR-tastic ‘Fight For Love’, which sees Mick Devine make the first of two guest appearances. This song has everything you want in classy AOR/melodic rock from the soaring vocals, upbeat backing, snazzy guitar solo and lashings of keys. Mick’s back for the album closer, a big power ballad beastie that is ‘Hold On’.

Of the two covers, the Mike Oldfield classic ‘Moonlight Shadow’ is stunning and suits Gabrielle’s vocals perfectly. On the cover of Magnum’s ‘Stayin’ Alive’ she duets with Terry Brock. Not an obvious choice a tune from ‘II’, one of Magnum’s lesser known albums (albeit not with the band’s hardcore following as said album does have some classics on it!).

The whole album is full of highlights to be fair, although ‘Natural High’, where Gabrielle is joined by FM’s Steve Overland, is a perfect example of how you can still produce modern day melodic rock which has its own sound and doesn’t sound like a rehash of the 80′s greats of the genre.

Whether singing with one the many guest vocalists or on her own, Gabrielle de Val further enhances her reputation as one of the finest melodic hard rock vocalists around today, on this hugely enjoyable debut solo album. ****

Review by Jason Ritchie

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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)