TNT - review added 20th January 2011
Album Review: A Farewell To Arms (2011)
For fans of: Heavy Rock... and what was all the fuss about?
TNT - these days Tony Mills on vocals, Ronni Le Tekrö on guitars, Victor Borge on bass, and Diesel Dahl on drums - have pretty much been off my radar since the old Tony (Harnell) swapped for the new Tony (Mills). The two albums the band have put out since he joined have been roundly panned by critics, and as they didn't wend their way to me under their own steam (promo-styly) there seemed little point spending real money on them.
"A Farewell To Arms" is the third album with the new singer, and listening to it I have to wonder what all the fuss was about. Is this really the band that had all those negative reviews? It's hard to believe as plenty of the songs here are bloody brilliant.
The sound is big, very hard rocking, exciting and, well, slap band in the centre of the style I expect this excellent band to be playing.
Good:
Tony Mills' biggest downfall is the fact he normally sounds just like, but not quite as good as Tony Harnell. Not here. He sounds properly awesome, in fact the best I've heard him anywhere. Ronnie Le Tekro is a super talented experimental guitarist, and he gets the ratio of playfulness and otherworldliness just right on "A Farewell To Arms". The overall sound is really interesting in a great way - the flamboyant nature to this heavy rock is unusual and hugely memorable.
Not So Good:
The album still isn't as good as the very best TNT release...but then what is? Having a song called 'Barracuda' which isn't a cover of the Heart song is just confusing.
The Songs:
'Engine' is fun, funky, and makes for an explosive start. 'Refugee' isn't quite as unique and recognizable as the other tracks on the album, but it's still easy to like. The chugging 'Ship In The Night' is a heavy monster and very catchy. The possibly sexist 'Take It Like A Man – Woman' is great fun and sees Ronni up to some great tricks. 'Come' is another heavy track that'll go down a storm when pumped at full volume on a car stereo. The aforementioned 'Barracuda' is a speedy, very enjoyable song.
'Signature On A Demon's Self Portrait' is a short instrumental, leading into 'Don't Misunderstand Me'; a song with a big theatrical bent. The title track isn't far off vintage Yngwie Malmsteen, and that's a good thing. 'Someone Else' sounds suspiciously like a rehash of 'Don't Misunderstand Me' which is a shame, but it's a good track as far as standalone style is concerned. 'God Natt, Marie' is a sweet folk-orientated effort. Final entry 'Harley Davidson' is a good chunky live version of the song from their debut.
In Summation:
TNT with Tony Mills can now be mentioned in the same breath as TNT with Tony Harnell. And not with the phrase "...is not as good as" in the middle. "A Farewell To Arms" really is very good.
Entertainment/Enjoyment:
Musicianship:
Vocals:
Song Writing:
Production:
Overall (Not An Average Of The Above):
Check out... All of it.
Track List:
01. Engine
02. Refugee
03. Ship In The Night04. Take It Like A Man – Woman
05. Come
06. Barracuda
07. Signature On A Demon's Self Portrait
08. Don't Misunderstand Me
09. A Farewell To Arms
10. Someone Else
11. God Natt, Marie
12. Harley Davidson
Label: Metal Heaven
Artist's website(s): TNT | MySpace | Facebook
