As the old saying goes, some bands had the misfortune of being in the right place at the wrong time. In light of this adage, there are a handful of bands and albums that immediately come to mind, one such act being Von Groove and their eponymous debut. Had this album come out even a few years earlier, there’s no doubt it would’ve been a multi-platinum hard rock smash, rivaling the likes of Bon Jovi’s New Jersey and Def Leppard’s Hysteria in terms of mass commercial success. Instead, it came out in late 1992, in the thick of the Nirvanapocalypse, largely dead in the water before it could even draw its first breath. In the decades since its release, it has gone onto become a cult classic amongst AOR aficionados, as have subsequent albums the band released throughout the ’90s and early ’00s. This leads us to Born to Rock: Von Groove’s first offering in 25 years.
Now I already know what your first question is, assuming you’re even familiar with Von Groove in the first place: Joe, is this REALLY Von Groove, or merely a bastardization of the moniker featuring only a wayward keyboardist or original roadie (see Giant)? Fear not, skeptics; this is indeed Von Groove. The original trio of drummer/vocalist Michael Shotton, bassist Matthew Gerrard, and guitarist Mladen are reunited and it feels so good. Together, these three have rekindled their mojo, conjuring a collection of arena rock anthems that, while not of the same caliber of their ’92 debut, certainly evoke the ethos and power of their heyday.
As the album title implies, Von Groove are a rock band who were born to rock. Therefore, one comes to face to face with the type of lyrical cliches that come with the territory of such a bold-natured release. This band is gonna rock me, rock you, rock our socks off, rock the world, rock themselves to sleep…you get the idea. I am, admittedly, being a tad hyperbolic, but the lyrical content is as braggadocious and empowering as the music itself, which doesn’t owe a single sonic idea to anything released past the year 1992 (Thank God). Unlike some of their peers who have returned after a multi-decade absence with ill-fated modern rock dreck-fests, Von Groove stick to what they do best, which is hard rocking AOR.
For those unfamiliar with Von Groove, the type of AOR at hand here is reminiscent of such giants like Night Ranger and Y&T. The melodies and hooks are present, but it’s gutsy vocals and groovy headbanger-friendly riffage that guides the album’s way. Look no further than cuts like the opening title track, “Adrenaline”, and “Dreams”. There are scattered moments that lean closer to pure AOR than hard rock, some being highlights (i.e. the dreamy “Angela”), while others feel like slabs of unnecessary Frontiers-core (i.e. “Waiting for the Sky to Fall”, “Always Endlessly”). That said, there are ultimately more hits than misses on this long-awaited comeback album, with the riveting melodic metal excursion that is “Champion” taking the title of choice cut.
Von Groove are back in the groove with a conviction bordering on terrifying, and that’s great news for melodic rockers young (me) and old (you reading this). Though Born to Rock doesn’t showcase the band at their creative peak, it is a most wonderful snapshot of what they do best, perhaps even eclipsing the last few albums of their initial run in terms of overall cohesion. Assuming Frontiers sees this resurrection through, there’s no reason Von Groove’s second act can’t match the prolificacy of their first, and now with the aide of social media, help gain some new fans along the way. Enough talk! Let’s rock!
7 out of 10
Label: Frontiers Records
Genre: AOR
For fans of: Night Ranger, Y&T, Tyketto
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