Revolultion Saints 'Rise' 

The word ‘super group’ is criminally overused in all genres of music. When a group of talented musicians come together, music magazines and websites often attach the label to them before the first musical note is recorded in the studio! There have been many ‘super group’ success stories in rock music in recent years with Black Country Communion and The Dead Daisies immediately springing to mind. But more often than not, such groups fail to reach the dizzy heights of musical bliss expected of them.

The weight of expectation on such ‘super groups’ hasn’t stopped Frontiers Records ‘head honcho’ Serafino Perugino from persuading various well known rock musicians to combine their talents over the past decade, with subsequent albums often produced by his trusted sidekick and keyboard maestro Alessandro Del Vecchio. In 2014, there was much excitement in the world of melodic hard rock/AOR when it was announced that a new ‘super group’ project called Revolution Saints had been assembled by Frontiers, combining the talents of Doug Aldrich on guitar, Jack Blades on bass and vocals and Deen Castronovo on drums and vocals. With experience in bands such as Journey, Whitesnake, Night Ranger, Dio, Damn Yankees and Bad English to name a few, this was most certainly a ‘super group’ within its genre… and one that met all expectations! Castronovo takes the bulk of lead vocals in the group with Blades chipping in on occasion and Aldrich doing what Aldrich does on guitar! Both the self-titled first album (2015) and sophomore album ‘Light In The Dark’ (2017) were released to excellent reviews, so it was with great anticipation that I listened to the new Revolution Saints album ‘Rise’, released on 24th January 2020. Could it continue to impress in the same manner as its predecessors?

The first thing that struck me about the opening track and first single ‘When The Heartache Has Gone’ was that it couldn’t have sounded any more like Journey! That, of course, isn’t a bad thing. With Deen Castronovo having spent over a decade in Journey until his 2015 departure, it’s no surprise that such a sound is in his DNA. The song is a fast paced, feel-good number with a sing-along chorus and a blistering solo by Aldrich, driven along by Blade’s simple but effective bassline and Castronovo’s signature hard-hitting drums. Of course, we’re reminded of producer Del Vecchio’s contribution too with keyboards prominent in the verses. It’s easy to hear why this was the lead single, accompanied by a glitzy video in which Castronovo looks and drums like a real life Animal from The Muppets! Check out the video on You Tube and you’ll see what I mean!

Second track ‘Price We Pay’, starts off as if it’s going to be a moody, mid-paced song with piano, drums and guitar combining to create an atmospheric intro… but by the time it reaches the chorus, it’s actually quite uplifting! Again, it’s fairly Journey-like in many ways. Jack Blades joins in with some lead vocals in the second verse, his lower tone working well with Castronovo’s Steve Perry-like timbre, particularly in the bridge section just before another signature Doug Aldrich solo moment. This is AOR/melodic rock as it should be!

Next up is the title track which starts with a similar growling guitar sound as the opening track. It’s a sound that Aldrich used to great effect in his tenure with Whitesnake and on this occasion, it leads into a hard rocking song that gets the blood pumping! Castronovo explores the higher range of his vocals at times on his track but remains effortlessly in tune. ‘Coming Home’ slows the pace down a bit in the verses but continues with the theme of uplifting choruses. For some reason, the verses remind me of something Elton John would be proud of. I can’t decide whether it’s the tone of the lead vocal or that the chord progression is similar to the Lion King hit ‘Circle of Life’… but there’s something there! One thing is for certain – it wouldn’t have sounded out of place in 1980s rock radio stations and Deen Castronovo sings it like he means it with lyrics such as “walking on the road that leads to you. I’m coming home to the place I belong”. Classic stuff!

The first two Revolution Saints albums featured a handful of excellent ballads and next track ‘Closer’ continues that trend. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a slow, soppy ballad… but it’s a ballad nevertheless. Starting with nothing but a repetitive piano melody and a wonderfully controlled vocal, the chorus bursts into life with a haunting orchestral sound from the keyboards and a catchy little guitar refrain in the background. Doug Aldrich shines with an emotional sounding guitar solo as the lyrics challenge the listener “are we closer to our souls in this lifetime on Earth, to resurrect who we are”? I have no idea what that actually means but it seems to fit perfectly with the feel of the song. Moody, atmospheric, emotional and superbly played, this is the pick of the bunch for me.

‘Higher’ makes a return to that classic Journey sound that was prevalent earlier in the album. When I say Journey, I don’t mean classic Steve Perry-led Journey. I’m talking about the current incarnation of the band. It’s a slick, positive, polished song that drives along from the outset with Blades sounding powerful on vocals and a heavy, yet not overpowering guitar sound. This is the type of song you’d drive along to with the car window down and the wind in your hair on a hot summer day. I have no doubt the band were smiling all the way through the recording of this track. That’s how infectious it is! ‘Talk To Me’ brings the pace down a bit again and this time, female vocals from Lunakaire add something a bit different. I have to admit that I’d never heard of Lunakaire before but her voice is sublime on this mid-paced track and gels perfectly with Blades and Castronovo as Doug Aldrich’s simple but effective guitar solo brings it to a close.

Next track ‘It’s Not The End (It’s Just The Beginning)’ is another feel-good number driven along by a thundering bass and drums and simple power chords before another sing-along chorus in which Castronovo continues to sound as if he’s really enjoying himself. To me, this is the song that really allows Doug Aldrich to stretch out a bit. His playing on this is phenomenal with an outstanding guitar solo up and down the scales and screeching feedback. This is the reason rock fans love him so much. ‘Million Miles’ continues with the fast paced sound of many of the tracks on this album with Deen’s drums pushing the song along and penultimate track ‘Win Or Lose’ is in a similar vein – solid but nothing ground breaking.

Final song ‘Eyes Of A Child’ is the ideal track to close an album that has been pretty full on from the outset. Written by Jack Blades with Damn Yankees bandmate and Styx main man Tommy Shaw, this is a poignant piano-led ballad with a beautiful acoustic guitar accompaniment and lush synth-orchestrations in the background. It laments the passing of time, recognising the past whilst embracing the future with lyrics such as “we all know the past and we all have the scars”. Jack Blades’ vocals are quite frankly sublime and when he sings “love is what we need today”, you know he means it… and that it’s the truest lyric in the whole album. This is the simplest song by far but it’s the one that will stick in the mind long after the reviews are in!

On first play of this album, I thought it was good but if I’m honest, I was possibly a bit underwhelmed. It has that very formulaic and familiar sound that plagues many releases by Frontiers Records and undoubtedly, this is down to Allesandro Del Vecchio being heavily involved in so many of the label’s albums as producer, songwriter or both. It’s nothing that I haven’t heard before and for a band with such talent, that’s a crying shame. It would be interesting to hear what Castronovo, Blades and Aldrich could come up with away from the watchful eye of Frontiers Records. Nevertheless, with repeated listens it is possible to find real gems hidden amongst that very corporate melodic rock/AOR sound. But to me, the true magic of this album is found within the unquestionable talent of the band members and their shared legacy in the genre of melodic hard rock/AOR. It’s that legacy and talent that helps this album to ‘Rise’ and fully justifies the ‘super group’ label for Revolution Saints.