PLACES OF POWER - review added 28th January 2009
Album Review: Now Is The Hour (2009)
For fans of: hard rock... and chilled heaviness
Places Of Power is a newly created project featuring bass player/guitarist Bruce Turgon (ex Foreigner, Shadow King, Lou Gramm, Atomic Playboys) and vocalist Philip Bardowell (ex Unruly Child, Magdalen).
The style draws heavily on their former works, being hard rocking with an overwhelmingly melodic edge. Layered keyboards and meandering guitars fight with the thumping rhythm section for dominance. Both sides win.
Philip Bardowell has a soothing voice that often reminds you of a good version of Sherwood Ball. He can still kick it where necessary, but his Teflon coating never evaporates.
'In Your Wildest Dreams' is a fantastic way to start the record. With a huge chorus and intricate guitar passages, the song skips along at a rollicking pace. 'I Live For You' is an upbeat ballad with a wonderful sing along chorus. It's almost too rocking to be a proper love song, but it's very sweet and emotional all the same.
'Secrets' is a real spin on the usual tracks you find on these albums. It has a massively off-the-wall sound that works beautifully. 'The Passage' is just as good, whilst 'Path Of Least Resistance' has a Joe Lyn Turner era Rainbow feel to it. I dare you to not have your adrenaline levels raised by what is probably the most fun track on the album.
Now Is The Hour is an excellent release. The last few percentage points of greatness are missing, but the songs are all of a consistently high level. A few more epic choruses and sing along moments wouldn't have gone amiss, but you can't really complain when an album is this good. All fans of top-level melodic and hard rock will find plenty to like with Places Of Power's first album.
Check out... The Rainbow-ness of 'Path Of Lease Resistance'.
Track List:
1. In Your Wildest Dream
2. Make Me Believe
3. Desires Of Our Hearts
4. One Day
5. I Live For You
6. Secrets
7. The Passage
8. Always
9. Hard To Love You
10. Light Of My World
11. Path Of Least Resistance
12. Places Of Power
Label: Frontiers Music
Band websites: MySpace
