BOB CATLEY - review added 31st October 2008
Album Review: Immortal (2008)
For fans of: hard rock... and anything Dennis Ward produces
Who'd have thought the tender-voiced grandad of rock would be producing music this good in 2008? Bob Catley, as quietly sung as a soft-rock rabbit, has never been a great force in the vocal world. He certainly hasn't got a bad voice, far from it in fact, but he has always sounded a little shy and reserved for a genre that automatically expects shouting and growling over calm reserve.
Here however, with the writing talents of Magnus Karlsson and the guitar and production finesse of Dennis Ward, a new side to the Magnum front man has emerged. He still sounds like he wouldn't say boo to a duck, but with the background ferocity of guitars, keyboards and drums evident, it turns out he really is a rock god.
The tracks, with uncle Bob's chilled tone over the top, sound both violent and calm at the same time. It's almost like taking a tank and planting flowers all over it. You know it could still kill you but it's a much nicer way of going about it.
It's hard to pick out any songs in particular as, to a greater or lesser extent they are all exceptionally good. There are probably no all-time classics here, but the overall standard is so high it doesn't matter. If any of these songs were on a lesser album they would stand head and shoulders above other tracks.
This is a real feel good album. Even though the lyrics may not be that way inclined, the sound is warm and inviting and the twists and turns of the tunes are refreshing and new. Continuing the theme that never seems to stop, with everything that Dennis Ward touches being way above average, Immortal is a great album full of high quality songs. It does work better as a whole than as individual tracks, but when the whole is this good could you really call that a bad thing?
Check out... How much better this sounds than most Magnum records. Hmmm...
Track List:
1. Dreamers Unite
2. We Are Immortal
3. End Of The World
4. Open Your Eyes
5. The Searcher
6. One More Night
7. Light Up My Way
8. You Are My Star
9. War In Heaven
10. Win The Throne
11. Haunted
12. Heat Of Passion
Label: Frontiers Records
Band websites: Bob Catley
