GIANT - review added 28th January 2010
Album Review: Promise Land (2010)
For fans of: Hard Rock... and doing justice to...taking the name in vain
Giant. That's a name that means a lot to us here at Rock Realms. Featuring the initial line-up of Dann and David Huff, Alan Pasqua, and Mike
Brignardello, this a band that produced two of our favourite albums - Last Of The Runaways and Time To Burn - a very respectable collection of tracks from the cutting room floor - III - and numerous mind-blowing songs including 'I'll See You In My Dreams', 'Without You', 'Don't Leave Me In Love', and, well, the list goes on a very long way...
Dann Huff was the soul of the band. His voice was filled with a warmth and rare heartfelt emotion. Not only that, his guitar playing was simply off the scale. However, these days he is a top producer working with the likes of Shania Twain, Megadeth, and more. You can't blame him. There isn't a lot of money in melodious hard rock. There's a fortune to be made if you look in the right places.
The problem with Dann working and earning the way he does, he could no longer be a full part of this great band, and who can blame him? So, in this new iteration (of what is basically our favourite group of all time) we see Terry Brock (Strangeways, Seventh Key) on vocals, John Roth (Winger) on guitars, plus original members Mike Brignardello on bass and David Huff on drums. Tim Lauer and Jack Holder cut in with keyboards, and Dann Huff himself adds lead guitars on 'Believer (Redux)' and 'Save Me', plus co-writing credits on a few of the tracks. Other writers include Mark Spiro, Erik Martensson, Robert Sall and Miqael Persson. The album was mixed by Ben Fowler (Van Zandt, Cher, Meat Loaf) and mastered by Grammy Award winning Joe Palmaccio.
Of course, the most important thing is what the album sounds like, but we still have to take a quick look at the implications of the new line-up: is Giant without Dann Huff still Giant? Good question. Several of the songs capture the essence of the classic sound, but overall the album is a different beast. There is little doubt this band should have a different moniker; even 'Giant II' would have sufficed. For me, this album smacks of trading on the name to shift more copies. That's a shame because it really is more than good enough as a standalone release.
The music is hard rocking and, in places, unbelievably catchy. There are a few tracks on Promise Land which stand comparison with anything the band has done before. The musicianship is excellent. The last few percentage points of guitar brilliance are arguably missing, but this is still superb stuff by any normal measure. The real change is in the singing. Terry Brock has a great voice - different to the charismatic Giant of old - but certainly more than good enough to do this album justice.
Songs kick off with the superb 'Believer (Redux)'. It initially sounds like Don Henley singing a track from Arrival-era Journey, but as soon as the chorus gets going those thoughts are set aside. Opening tracks don't get much bigger than this. The title track is next. It's a subtle growing groover that, again, has the sort of magnificent chorus many bands can only dream of. 'Never surrender' is an upbeat and speedy rocker with more Journey-isms and, you've guessed it, another splendid chorus.
'Our Love' is the first ballad; the thing that Giant were always phenomenal at. It's no different here. 'Our Love' is a slow scorcher that's already staking a strong claim for inclusion in the 2010 Rock Realms Awards. 'Prisoner of Love' isn't a cover of the Foreigner song, more a fine throwback to the authentic Giant sound. It's a cool throbbing track with a serious laid back charm. 'Two Worlds' is very similar to the songs Terry Brock was making with Seventh Key. The harmonies are all but identical. As we love Seventh Key that's not a problem!
'Plenty of Love' is another feel good Giant-infused track that's as fun as a sauna with the Olympic beach volleyball team. This song would kick-ass in a rock club! 'Through My Eyes' is three-quarters ballad, a quarter upbeat rocker. It's like the best soft-metal tracks of the late 1980's, only better. The rock 'n' rolling 'I’ll Wait For You' is more subtle than most entries on the album, but you can't help fall for its charms. The sorrow-fuelled ballad 'Dying To See You' is even more understated. Again, don't be tempted to hold that against it. It's still a blinder.
'Double Trouble' is spunky and rockin'. It's not quite as infectious as 'Plenty Of Love', but it ain't a million miles off. 'Complicated Man' looks back to the Giant history books in a big way. If you loved their early work you'll love this. Final track 'Save Me' is a funky effort that's quite different in feel to the rest of the album. It's a perfectly acceptable, if leftfield way to close the release.
There is absolutely no doubt Promise Land does the Giant name justice. It truly is a brilliant collection of songs that's as good as melodious hard rock gets. I can't help but feel a little pang of annoyance at the band using the name, and the altered style adds an element of confusion to the Giant back catalogue, but in the end it has to be the music that matters...and boy does this deliver!
In fact this album is so good, it doesn't even matter how good it would have been if Dann Huff had sung and played on all of it!
Check out... All of it. It's superb.
Track List:
01. Believer (Redux)
02. Promise Land
03. Never Surrender
04. Our Love
05. Prisoner of Love
06. Two Worlds
07. Plenty of Love
08. Through My Eyes
09. I’ll Wait For You
10. Dying To See You
11. Double Trouble
12. Complicated Man
13. Save Me
Label: Frontiers Records
Artist's website(s): Giant , MySpace
