In the immortal words of Todd Rundgren, “Hello It’s Me”. I wasn’t planning on taking a mini Thanksgiving week sabbatical, but alas, here we are. I feel as though a week of quality time with my loved ones and indulging in hearty cuisine was just what I needed to reboot my system, all culminating in last night’s happenings in which KISS played Chicago for the final time. We’ve all heard this charade before. This isn’t KISS’s first “final tour”. Cynics argue it won’t be their last. Yet as I watched Paul Stanley zipline across the arena, Gene Simmons breathe fire, and the band unleash hit after hit after hit, I couldn’t help but think; If this truly is it for the Hottest Band in the World, there’s a huge void to be filled: a void that could be filled by High Spirits.
It’s been a few years since we last heard from the hard and heavy vehicle of veteran mastermind Chris Black. Their last album, Hard to Stop, was one of the finest albums of 2020, yet again blurring the lines between heavy metal, hard rock, and AOR, recalling the transitory period between 1978 and 1982. You know, that era when bills like 38 Special and Iron Maiden or Black Sabbath and Outlaws weren’t out of the ordinary. Their latest album, Safe on the Other Side, continues to reinvent the classic sounds of yesteryear, but with a newfound musical exploration, making this the most dynamic High Spirits release to date.
A solid half of Safe on the Other Side falls into the anthemic hard and heavy category established on earlier albums like Another Night (2011) and You Are Here (2014). Cuts like “In the Moonlight”, “Til the End of Time”, and “One Day Closer” combine hard-nosed riffs and raw energy with addictive hooks and larger than life choruses, akin to US titans Y&T and melodically inclined NWOBHM acts like Def Leppard and Tygers of Pan Tang. Black doesn’t just know how to write a kickass classic metal tune; he knows how to deliver and leave a lasting impression.
It isn’t just the tried and true rockers on Safe that leave said impression, but the outliers as well. Maybe it’s because I just saw KISS last night, but “Lonely Nights” sounds like something Paul Stanley would’ve written for his namesake solo album (1978) or Dynasty (1979). Passionate AOR rears its neon colored head on cuts like the intoxicating “Loving You” and balladesque “Please Don’t Leave Me Behind”, the latter boasting guitars and vocals reminiscent of the aforementioned Y&T. Then there’s the quirky “(There Will Be) Magic Tonight”, whose pseudo new wave/power pop disposition recalls Black’s eccentric side project, Aktor.
Once again, Chris Black has conjured a collection of surefire crowd pleasers, guaranteed to get our heads banging, fists pumping, and air guitars wailing. The musical celebration that is High Spirits is still going strong, with no signs of slowing down in the near future. As our ’70s and ’80s heroes continue to fall victim to the passage of time, it’s bands like High Spirits who stay fervently dedicated to keeping the sacred flame burning. Let’s all raise our horns and voices in jubilation, as the spirit of rock n’ roll is Safe on the Other Side in the hands of High Spirits.
10 out of 10
Label: High Roller Records
Genre: Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
For fans of: Def Leppard, Scorpions, Y&T