Frontiers [Release date: 10.02.23]
So much of Frontiers’ melodic rock finds itself impervious to outside influences. There are few AOR albums from the label that have successfully taken on contemporary musical mores.
The truth is – we all claim to embrace change, when often what we really want is more of the same, only better.
And frankly that notion sets up this T3NORS’ album. The knowledge that the studio band is fronted by renowned-in-the-genre vocalists Robbie LeBlanc, Toby Hitchcock and Kent Hilli is enough to make AOR fans drool.
All 3 have gained deserved recognition for their vocal abilities and performances. Le Blanc with his own band, Blanc Faces, Hitchcock with Jim Peterik’s Pride Of Lions, and Hilli with Giant, after a brief apprenticeship with Perfect Plan.
The album smacks of collaboration and workshopping with producer Alessandro DelVecchio, until they got all the songs exactly right.
DelVecchio’s skillful orchestration of keys, guitars, voices and rhythms gives the music the rich feeling it gets when the artists are all on the same page.
And kicking off with the incredibly strong ‘April Rain’ was a good move. Hitchcock takes the lead, and soars. The song’s near perfect combination of heartfelt lyrics and heartstopping (if irritatingly familiar) hook, launches the album into orbit. A bold, anthemic beginning.
‘Torn’, ‘Stand For Love’ and ‘Silent Cries’ maintain the momentum, with the trio squeezing out every ounce of emotion, in true 3 tenors’ style, from the busy but clear as a bell arrangements.
The digital album has different versions of three of the key tracks. ‘April Rain’, ‘I Could’ and ‘Set Fire To The Rain’ as bonuses.
They’ve swapped around the lead vocalists on these three studio edits. This a smart and interesting idea. You can listen for yourself and see if the label made the right decisions in the first place.
One way or another, after a few spins you’ll be mainlining T3nors on a regular basis. ****
Review by Brian McGowan
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
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Power Plays w/c 15 April 2024
ENMY The Ledge (FiXT)
KAROBELA Get Hard (indie)
KATH & THE KICKS Neptune (indie)
THE BEE TELLERS River Poem (Black Sand Records)
LAUREN FREEBIRD Like A Bomb (indie)
Featured Albums w/c 15 April 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 KATARINA PEJAK – Pearls On A String (Ruf Records)
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