┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │■ ■│ │ .-/ .-. │ │ _.-~ / ___ | ~-._ │ │ \:/ -~| / __/| .\:/ │ │ / || (:/:| \ │ │ / /\/| |:\___\| |\ \ │ │ / /:::|.::/:::/:.|:\ \ │ │ / /:::/ \\/:::/::/:::\ \ │ │ / .::\ \-~~~~-/\/:.. \ │ │ /..:::::\ /:::::..\ │ │ /::::::::- -::::::::\ │ │ \:::::-~ ~-:::::/ │ │ \:-~ ~-:/ │ │ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ P R E S E N T S │ │ │ │ │ │ + Alcatrazz - Born Innocent + │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Information ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Rls Date..2020-08-08 Encoder......LAME 3.100 ║ │ │║ Genre.....Heavy Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │ │║ Year......2020 Khz/Bitrate..44.1 / VBR kbps ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Ripper....Anthem Songs........13 ║ │ │║ Source....CD Covers.......Yes ║ │ │║ Url.. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Notes ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Artist : Alcatrazz ║ │ │║ Album : Born Innocent ║ │ │║ Label : Silver Lining Music ║ │ │║ Cat.No : SLM101P01 ║ │ │╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Description : ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ For all of the bizarre happenings that have come to define ║ │ │║ 2020, if one were to focus on the musical strides being ║ │ │║ made in spite of all the nonsense, this could well prove to ║ │ │║ be one of the better years for metal in recent history. ║ │ │║ With several veteran stalwarts releasing impressive ║ │ │║ offerings over the course of the past several months it ║ │ │║ would seem that the sky is the limit, but perhaps one of ║ │ │║ the most iconic projects of the mid-80s has seen fit to ║ │ │║ punch a hole through that same empyreal event horizon after ║ │ │║ more than 3 decades of virtual silence in the studio. For ║ │ │║ the uninitiated, the California-based Alcatrazz could be ║ │ │║ best described as the missing link between the high era of ║ │ │║ 70s progressive rock and 80s heavy metal, featuring several ║ │ │║ veterans of the former scene and one auspicious up and ║ │ │║ comer in Swedish-born shred wizard Yngwie Malmsteen, whoÆs ║ │ │║ short stint with the band would be followed by the equally ║ │ │║ auspicious 6-string surgeon Steve Vai. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ With this heavy metal institutionÆs best days a solid 35 ║ │ │║ years behind them, expectations are sure to be the sworn ║ │ │║ enemy of this long awaited rebirth, but it proves to be one ║ │ │║ that is easily dispatched by the stellar opus that is Born ║ │ │║ Innocent. The cast of musical characters that deliver the ║ │ │║ auditory goods here represent a majority of the original ║ │ │║ band that gave us all No Parole For Rock æNÆ Roll, ║ │ │║ Disturbing The Peace and Dangerous Games, alongside one of ║ │ │║ the few ample replacements for Malmsteen that one could ║ │ │║ hope to tap in Joe Stump, to speak nothing for a couple of ║ │ │║ riveting guest slots by fellow Neo-classical shredder Chris ║ │ │║ Impelliterri, the aforementioned original replacement ║ │ │║ surgeon Steve Vai, alongside the late Alice Cooper and ║ │ │║ W.A.S.P. guitarist Bob Kulick and several others. To state ║ │ │║ that this is an album oozing with talent would be an ║ │ │║ understatement, though the one who ultimately steals the ║ │ │║ show is vocalist Graham Bonnet, whom despite being 72 years ║ │ │║ of age has lost none of his power and pizzazz at the ║ │ │║ microphone. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Though opinions tend to vary regarding the potency of the ║ │ │║ second and third LPs of this band mentioned previously, it ║ │ │║ is generally stipulated that No Parole For Rock æNÆ Roll ║ │ │║ was the album that broke the mold, alongside catapulting ║ │ │║ MalmsteenÆs brand of Neo-classical shred into the metal ║ │ │║ paradigm, and this latest excursion into the sonic ║ │ │║ stratosphere listens like the stylistic successor of said ║ │ │║ debut that Disturbing The Peace fell just a tad short of ║ │ │║ being. ItÆs given a somewhat more amped up character by a ║ │ │║ heavier riff set courtesy of Joe Stump and a massive ║ │ │║ modernized mix, but the majority of these songs follow that ║ │ │║ same retro-mid 80s heavy/power metal aesthetic that bridged ║ │ │║ the gap between Rainbow and Rising Force. The final package ║ │ │║ comes off as a bit on the raw side, paralleling the ║ │ │║ raunchier heaviness that typified MalmsteenÆs late 90s ║ │ │║ material a la Facing The Animal and Alchemy, though with a ║ │ │║ tad more nuance and a variety of lead guitar expressions ║ │ │║ given the fairly diverse array of players supporting ║ │ │║ StumpÆs principle efforts. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Despite being a stylized and borderline retro offering that ║ │ │║ will be instantly recognizable to any self-respecting fan ║ │ │║ of this bandÆs seminal offering, the lineup of ║ │ │║ compositional efforts here proves to be quite diverse. On ║ │ │║ the swifter side of the equation sits a brilliant opener ║ │ │║ and high octane rocker of a title song ôBorn Innocentö, ║ │ │║ echoing the Rainbow-infused character of the 1983 debut to ║ │ │║ a tee. Not far behind is a folksy cooker, chock full of ║ │ │║ brilliant guitar gymnastics and ode to mythic Irish legend ║ │ │║ ôFinn McCoolö, the rock-organ driven nod to Deep Purple on ║ │ │║ speed ôPaper Flagsö and the Malmsteen-inspired cruiser ║ │ │║ ôLondon 1666ö, presenting the same sort of fantastical ║ │ │║ storytelling that Ronnie James Dio brought to Rainbow prior ║ │ │║ to Bonnet taking his place. Naturally all is not ║ │ │║ quick-paced riff monsters with lofty tall tale lyrics, as ║ │ │║ the more rocking anthem to debauchery ôDirty Like The Cityö ║ │ │║ and the groovy stomper ôThe Wound Is Openö present a more ║ │ │║ mundane set of images to go with a plainer musical ║ │ │║ presentation, while still slaying equally as effectively. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The aforementioned highlights, however, are simply the tip ║ │ │║ of a massive sonic iceberg that is sure to take the rock ║ │ │║ and metal world by storm, irrespective of taking this ║ │ │║ impressive show on the road being delayed by much of ║ │ │║ AmericaÆs ongoing lockdown. From this bandÆs inception, it ║ │ │║ seemed an odd coupling of old and new given Graham BonnetÆs ║ │ │║ affinity for an image more befitting the likes of David ║ │ │║ Bowie than the leather clad persona of Halford or the ║ │ │║ majestic garbs often adorning DioÆs person, but this ║ │ │║ project is its own testament that metal is more about an ║ │ │║ attitude and state of mind than that of what threads and ║ │ │║ hair style one chooses to sport. And as with the fusion of ║ │ │║ past and present that this band exhibited back in Æ83, this ║ │ │║ current album is correspondingly fit for straddling the ║ │ │║ fences that separate the old school heavy metal crowd from ║ │ │║ the younger adherents of power and progressive metal, and ║ │ │║ whether one be a Helloween fanatic or more in line with the ║ │ │║ slightly more archaic expressions of the NWOBHM and the ║ │ │║ earlier 80s USPM, this is an essential listen and a serious ║ │ │║ candidate for album of 2020. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Originally written for Sonic Perspectives ║ │ │║ (www.sonicperspectives.com) ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Tracklist ║ │ │╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │ │ │ │ 1. Born Innocent 3:08 │ │ 2. Polar Bear 4:37 │ │ 3. Finn Mccool 4:23 │ │ 4. We Still Remember 4:04 │ │ 5. London 1666 5:01 │ │ 6. Dirty Like The City 3:50 │ │ 7. I Am The King 5:31 │ │ 8. Something That I Am Missing 4:37 │ │ 9. Paper Flags 4:02 │ │ 10. The Wound Is Open 3:49 │ │ 11. Body Beautiful 5:01 │ │ 12. Warth Lane 6:17 │ │ 13. For Tony 3:59 │ │ │ │ │ │ Total Length : 00:58:19 │ │ │ │ │ │ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ╔═════════════════════╗ │ │ ║ Greetings To: ║ │ │ ╚═════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ Too all people who contributes to make this │ │ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │■ ■│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘