MAIN

ORDER

INTERVIEWS

LINKS

KHYMERA

Score: 5 out of 5 Battle-Axes (more about rating system)

The only thing I don't like about this project from vocalist Steve Walsh (Kansas, ex-Streets) and guitarist is Daniele Liverani is the Khymera band name and album title. It sounds too progressive and may deter fans of commercial melodic rock and hard rock from checking out this exceptional album. Steve Walsh has fronted Kansas for most of its career, and for my money he (along with Journey's Steve Perry and a few others) is one of the greatest vocalists in rock history. For the record, though, I was very disappointed by Walsh's last two releases, Kansas' Somewhere To Elsewhere (2000) and his solo outing Glossolalia (2000). Somewhere was way too progressive and lacked any sense of a hook, and Glossolalia was frighteningly modern. Khymera finds Walsh delivering material with an 80s commercial rock and hard rock feel. Fans of his other 80s band, Streets, and Kansas' Power (1986) and In The Spirit Of Things (1988) will absolutely flip over this album. There are out-and-out rockers ("Strike Like Lightning" and "Shadows"), excellent melodic rock tracks ("Living With A Memory" and "Written In The Wind") and touching piano ballads ("Bless The Brand New Angel" and "Say It With Love"), all of which are excellent in their own way. Walsh's voice is filled with so much emotion and power, that he can easily move a tough man to tears. He gets some backing vocal assistance from Kansas/Seventh Key/Streets bassist/vocalist Billy Greer and Mecca's Thom Griffin and Joe Vanna, which only fattens up the whole presentation. Unknown guitarist Daniele Liverani is a true talent, as well, mainly because he can shred, but never overplays, always choosing to focus on the melody of the songs. Overall, this is the best melodic rock/hard rock release that I've heard in ages, and certainly Walsh's best album since In The Spirit Of Things . (Chris Dugan)

www.frontiers.it