Only a month and a half into 2020 and Frontiers Records has given us a handful of new supergroups for our listening pleasure. There’s the blues influenced Dirty Shirley featuring George Lynch and Dino Jelusić, as well as the latest Savatage offshoot, the Zak Stevens fronted Archon Angel. Joining these ranks is Black Swan. The band features Lynch’s ex Dokken bandmate Jeff Pilson on bass, as well as guitarist Reb Beach (Winger, Whitesnake), drummer Matt Starr (Ace Frehley), and vocalist extraordinaire Robin McAuley (McAuley Schenker Group, Survivor). I enjoy the majority of the acts these veteran musicians play with full time, but Frontiers supergroups have historically been hit or miss. Where does Black Swan fall?
If there’s one thing that’ll stick with you after listening to Shake the World, it’s the choruses. Almost every song features a catchy as all hell chorus that’ll be stuck in your head for days. Look no further than my favorite song, “She’s on to Us”. Beach does his best Mr. Scary (that’s George Lynch for you plebs) impersonation with the dark, heavy riff that carries the song and then BAM! We’re greeted by a big 80s chorus that hits us like a truck.
Going hand and hand with these choruses is their mouthpiece, McAuley. At almost 70 years old (am I really typing that?), his voice is stronger than ever. He still hits super high notes without a trace of strain or age. It makes sense that he’s the focal point of this album, but at a price. His voice is so high in the mix that it’s hard to tell Pilson played on here at all. This results in an overall thin sounding album and good songs which could’ve been great.
Shake the World is not without its shining moments. The title track and “Unless We Change” are pedal to the metal headbangers reminiscent of Dio. Had Black Swan stuck to this approach as opposed to hard rock, I feel this could’ve been a stronger album. I also believe that of the 2 and a half ballads on this album (“Make It There”, “Sacred Place”, the first half of “Divided/Unity”), the only one that’s necessary is “Sacred Place”. A mid tempo AOR affair with a goosebumps inducing performance from McAuley, it’s my favorite song next to “She’s on to Us”.
Despite being held back by underwhelming production and a few songs too many, Shake the World does a good job showcasing Black Swan’s ability to craft some memorable melodies. It also showcases the spectacular singing of Robin McAuley. If you’re a fan of McAuley, check this album out and give it a listen or two. You’re bound to find some enjoyable, hooky hard rock that’ll make your “favorite songs” playlist.
6 out of 10
Label: Frontiers Records
Genre: Hard Rock
For fans of: McAuley Schenker Group, Dokken, The End Machine