They say “Third time’s the charm.” This is the certainly the case on Revolution Saints’ latest album, Rise. The supergroup, consisting of guitarist Doug Aldrich (ex-Whitesnake), bassist Jack Blades (Night Ranger), and drummer/vocalist extraordinaire Deen Castronovo (ex-Journey), put out two highly enjoyable albums with their self titled debut (2015) and Light in the Dark (2017). On Rise, we hear the band at their peak with a collection of songs that are as memorable as they are melodic.
Leading off Rise is “When the Heartache Has Gone”. The comparisons to Castronovo’s former band, Journey, are unavoidable. It sounds straight off Frontiers (1983) or Raised on Radio (1986). In other words, had this been released 35 years ago, it would’ve dominated the airwaves. With its happy and upbeat message, it sets the tone for the remainder of the album. This is music to listen to in the middle of summer, speeding down the highway with the windows rolled down and wind flowing through your hair.
The title track includes slightly heavier guitar work that reminds me of Blades’ full time band, Night Ranger. It was guitarists like Neal Schon (Journey) and Brad Gillis (Night Ranger) that made melodic hard rock so powerful in the early 80s. With punchy, ass kicking riffs and frenzied guitar solos, Doug Aldrich proudly takes the torch. “Rise” is a prime example.
Uplifting musical and lyrical themes define the entire album, but shine brightest on my favorite song, “Coming Home”. Castronovo sounds almost identical to the great Steve Perry on this track. We all know what a monster of a drummer he is. But can we take a second to appreciate his vocal abilities? Listening to Rise, I can’t help but wonder why Schon didn’t just have him assume drum and vocal duties upon joining Journey in 1998. The icing on the cake is Aldrich’s emotional solo which matches Castronovo’s vocal delivery.
Rise continues with the rip roaring “Higher” and more Journey worship on “Million Miles” and “Win or Lose”. The closer, “Eyes of a Child”, threw me a real curveball. For an album of melodic hard rock mania, I didn’t expect a tender, piano driven ballad to close the show. That said, it’s a sweet, enjoyable song which serves as a loving outro on a very good album.
I only hope one day Revolution Saints brings their guitar driven brand of AOR to the stage. Would you believe they’ve only played two shows, both of which were part of their label’s (Frontiers) festival? Hopefully Rise gains enough traction for the members to find time from their main projects and rock the world together!
7 out of 10
Label: Frontiers Records
Genre: AOR
For fans of: Journey, Night Ranger, Bad English