Review by Ritchie Birnie for MPM
With this being album number four there are some things you know without doubt what will be included. Huge riffs and amazing solos are a given but with Louder than Fate we get Jared spreading his songwriting wings with some new sounds and a whole host of emotion.
The album opens with “Let’s Go” and the riff meter is topping out from the off but this is an upbeat anthem with a killer solo. We have 80s singalong chants made for an audience.
We get some slow swinging Blues for the opening of Ghost with a huge Zakk Wylde strut. This is almost doom metal as it blasts through with its Sabbath riff and dark vocals.
The Blues backbone is still with us on “Way Back” and with Jared digging into his Southern roots we have a romper stomper of a song. This number has a cool all of its own.
Jared pulls out the acoustic on “Bending or Breaking” and this is him throwing out his song rule book and diving into something new and I loved it. This was made for 80s radio as it could very well be his most mainstream track to date. Even the solo is pulled back for a different audience. A well received change and another arrow in his quiver.
We get a mix of the last two songs on “Killing Time”. A Southern intro, a heart felt kick and a slowed down musical masterpiece. This song alone tells you exactly why JJN is so proud of this record.
Now that is enough of all these new fangled emotions and musical diversities as we get down to business again on “Dust ‘n’ Bones”. This is classic Jared, a riff to die for, sweaty assed swagger and a solo to leave you aghast. A piledriver of a track.
We slow things down again with “Show Me” where less is more on the guitar before we move onto an almost country kick ass beast. This song smoulders like the embers of a fire and like a fire just add a sprinkling of fresh firewood and it will explode into life and the firewood in this song is the solo.
The JJN swagger is back on “Looks Like that Felt Good”. A song that was made to appeal to many different genre lovers. We have Blues, Southern and Country all in one melting pot that is there for one sole intention…to entertain.
Runnin’ Hot” is a 70s style blockbuster and yes, I am referring to Sweet. Drums played purely to get us clapping along and a song to just lift the spirits and the solo is a concoction of all the 70s greats.
We end the album at a hell of a pace on “Pretend”. This is everything we love about JJN. Killer guitar work, intense song structure and a song that builds and knocks you down with ease.
Louder than Fate just proves what a talent this man is. This guitar slinging, vocal maestro is a hypnotising star of the Rock World. He is living his best life on this album and we are just privileged to be here to witness his journey.
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Out June 5th via Frontiers Music Srl
Pre-Order HERE
