Heavens Edge had it all: Pretty boy looks, immense musical talent, and a collection of songs that fit comfortably into the realms of hard rock, heavy metal, and AOR. They also had the misfortune of releasing their self-titled debut album in 1990, and we all know what lurked around the corner. Now this year was not a complete wash for glam/pop metal. Firehouse, Warrant, Nelson, and Poison among others, all scored multi-platinum smashes before the tectonic shift of ’91. Heavens Edge was not one of these lucky few, fading into obscurity even faster than they got their deal with Columbia.
Fast forward some 20+ years later, and in true Anvil fashion, there’s always a handful of dedicated lunatics dying to see *insert forgotten 80s hard rock/metal band here*. Heavens Edge was no exception. The past decade has seen them playing the Monsters of Rock Cruise, M3, Melodic Rock Fest: the usual stomping grounds for bands of this nature. And where do bands of this nature go when it’s time to drop the inevitable comeback album? Frontiers, of course! Sarcastic as this all sounds, I was genuinely excited to check out the new Heavens Edge album. After all, they were one of the last hold-outs from this era to treat us to new music (well, them and D’Molls at least).
On their first album in 25 years, Get It Right, Heavens Edge gets it…well, mostly wrong. The overall production is very lackluster, sounding less like a proper album and more like a glorified demo. This disappointment aside, there are a handful of solid songs on this release. “Gone Gone Gone” and “Beautiful Disguise” boast that heavy AOR sound which dominated rock radio circa ’89,while the tasty, slide guitar driven “Nothing Left but Goodbye” recalls titans of the day Tesla and Cinderella. And ticking off the obligatory “metal” box is the glorious high speed sleaze of “9 Lives (My Immortal Life)”.
Unfortunately, these occasional moments of merit are weighed down by a barrage of bland modern rockers akin to 21st century Bon Jovi and the cavalcade of faceless bands who make up active rock radio playlists. Songs like “Had Enough”, “Raise ‘Em Up”, and “I’m Not the One” sound no different than one of these types of bands (let’s say Shinedown for reference), and ballads like “What Could’ve Been” and “When the Lights Go Down” feel forced and sterile. In other words, if you told me this was Heavens Edge, I wouldn’t believe you. And I especially wouldn’t believe they’d churn out a song like “Dirty Little Secret”. Why 80s bands are still attempting awkward power pop that sounds straight out of a mid 00s PG-13 comedy in 2023 is beyond me.
What could’ve been a kickass throwback hard rock/metal album will now be used as yet another case study of “classic bands gone modern”. This approach hasn’t worked for any of Heavens Edge’s peers. Why they thought it would work for them is beyond me. Granted, this speaks to a larger problem that has plagued our community for quite some time now, but that’s another rant for another day. I guess I should be thankful they didn’t go “full blown modern” and resort to the “filling the CD” tactic, but that’s not saying much. Neither is this album for that matter.
4 out of 10
Label: Frontiers Records
Genre: Hard Rock
For fans of: Bon Jovi, Shinedown, L.A. Guns
Why do you make sound like a bad thing to like Shinedown?
I can appreciate some serious death metala minute later.
Broaden your horizons and actually enjoy music for what it is
It’s not a bad thing to like Shinedown if that’s your cup of tea. I just never got the hype. Of the handful of songs I’ve heard over the years, they all sound the same, boasting the same tired active rock cliches that have been all the rage for 20 years now. Overproduction, post-grunge riffs, “yarling” vocals…no thanks. If you explore this site enough, you’ll find that we review far more than death metal!