Review by Ritchie Birnie for MPM
Next year will be the 25th Anniversary of Hardline’s incredible debut Double Eclipse and although they have released six albums since then they have not hit the heights of that original release but as a fan right from the off I can confirm Shout is the closest the band have come to that crown.
It is almost impossible to state how good Double Eclipse was when it came out. I was introduced to this pretty much on release and that same year I saw the band completely blow away Extreme as support in Glasgow. With just eight songs as opposed to Extremes 18 and even with covers of Queen’s “I Want to break Free” and “Tie Your Mother Down” the headliners never got close.
That album lived with me for eight years before I gave it to a friend and it disappeared. I moved down South and it turned up years later when that friend came to visit and I fell in love with it all over again. It also had far more meaning second time around due to my circumstances at that time.
The albums following were far to few and far apart and although I enjoyed them all I have not been so hyped about the band again since listening to Shout. I got in touch with everyone who had also loved the debut and the response when I told them how good Shout is was…are they still going? Still going? still going? no, they are flying high again.
So lets get into why I am so hyped, the album kicks off with the title track and holy crap we are back in 1992. Those power riffs, the keyboards and those soaring Gioeli vocals. this man is one of the most underrated vocalists in Rock.
This was the type of song that blew away Extreme. This is fresh, this is powerful and this is fucking awesome.
The guitar work from Luca Princiotta on “Rise Up” is stunning. It encapsulated Neal Schon so perfectly you have to realy focus to see any difference but this collection of musicians have sucked up all that Double Eclipse energy and wrung it out on this album.
The opening guitar on “It Owns You” takes me back to that Extreme show and how gobsmacked I was at the performance. It echoes the vibe of those incredible songs and if there was a release of Double Eclipse and you snuck this song onto it you would never say it is out of place.
With the next song we get a cover but a cover so far from the original you will hardly recognise Scorpions “When You Came Into My Life”. They have stripped it back, rocked it up and done a Hardline on its ass. Who does a better ballad than the Scorpions? I will tell you who, Hardline and with their own damned song. This is genius.
No Dr Love this time, no, it is “Mother Love” and the haunting keys lead into Johhny giving it his all and carrying this melodic monster to amazing heights.
If an acoustic is out something magical is going to happen and so I introduce you to “Rise Above No Fear”. The balladic intro is left behind for pure power. This song will have you on air drums, guitar and headbanging till you have a nosebleed. The pace is furious and the songwriting is outstanding.
Double Eclipse loved an almost Church organ intro so why change a winning habit and “Candy Love” embraces the lord of what a fucking tune. This is Shout’s “Taking Me Down”. The same vibe, the same beautiful sound and a song I could quite happily listen to until the end of time.
Once again Marco Di Silva shines on drums as “I’m Leaning on it” kicks like a mule. Like that debut songs like these would have been on every radio station during the 80s. The boys just missed the gravy train but now 24 years later they are creating brilliance and there is definitely a second coming on its way.
“Welcome to the Thunder” is Gioeli’s thank you to the fans for still being there and the track name could not be more aptly titled as it is a natural disaster at full throttle. This has to be the new set opener as there is no better statement to make than this.
I am physically gutted that “Glow” is the final track. I am ready for hours more of this album but if you are going to leave us bow out with a beautiful ballad.
Shout is the heir that Double Eclipse always deserved. I have no hesitation in saying if I had never heard that debut and played Shout it would impact me just the same. This is what a Rock album should be. This is career defining music that screams to be heard. I just hope the band make it to the UK so I can see the songs live and mixed in with those timeless classics.
Buy it, stream it, make it yours and we hope you enjoy it as much we do!
