Another week, another Frontiers supergroup to explore! I don’t know how head honcho Serafino Perugino does it, but this guy can assemble old school hard rock dream teams with his eyes closed. Take for example his latest creation, Skills. This aptly named outfit features some of the finest players on the planet: drummer David Huff (Giant), bassist Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big, David Lee Roth, Talas), guitarist Brad Gillis (Night Ranger), and up and coming singer Renan Zonta (Electric Mob). There’s no denying each individual player’s skills on their respective instruments. The question is, how do those skills translate into songs on their debut album, Different Worlds?
For the most part, Different Worlds serves up what I expected and does so rather well. It’s no frills 80s inspired melodic hard rock, with occasional flourishes of metal and AOR for good measure. The production stays faithful to the era, which is a relief. While the in your face, mega modern riffing of Eclipse and latter day Pretty Maids records have their place, they have no business on this release. No, Different Worlds is indeed music for a different world; a world where Dallas was one of the highest rated TV programs and the music format of choice was the cassette. Think of it as a musical love letter to 1985.
The album opens with the blatantly retro “Escape Machine”, and largely stays in this vein throughout. Cuts like “Stop the World”, “Hearts of Stone”, and the title track boast tropes associated with classic Foreigner and (appropriately) Night Ranger: earworm choruses, subtle synths, powerful riffing that borders on heavy, yet never really crosses the threshold. You get the idea. There’s also a handful of adult contemporary/ballad oriented tracks for those who like their AOR on the lighter side (“Show Me the Way”, “Just When I Needed You”), as well as some Deep Purple/Rainbow-esque barn burners in “Don’t Break My Heart” and my choice cut, “Blame It on the Night”.
While Skills is meant to showcase the, uh, skills of each individual member, there’s no doubt one member stands head and shoulders above the rest, and that’s frontman Renan Zonta. Prior to this release, I was unfamiliar with his talents. Boy have I missed out! This guy can scream like Sebastian Bach circa 1989, to the point where if heaven forbid anything happened between Skid Row and Erik Grönwall, Zonta would make a fitting pinch hitter. It’s his supersonic vocal prowess that really took this album to the next level for me, especially considering the lack of mind melting, over the top Gillis shredfests (perhaps album #2 will feature these more prominently?).
By no means does Different Worlds reinvent the wheel. It does however keep it rolling with the power of high octane melodic rock n’ roll. As the old philosophy goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Skills ain’t broke, and aside from my qualm over the lack of Gillis solos, there’s really nothing to be fixed. This band definitely has the strength and charisma to warrant a follow up. Time will tell if those within the melodic rock community agree with me.
7 out of 10
Label: Frontiers Records
Genre: Hard Rock
For fans of: Night Ranger, Foreigner, Deep Purple