CHINA

China are from Switzerland and have been leading lights in the country’s music scene on and off since 1985 when they released their eponymously titled debut. They have had reasonable success over the years that has seen the band have top 40 singles in the UK, Germany and Japan as well as top 10 success in their native land. The current band, which has seen numerous line ups since its formation, consists of vocalist Eric St Michaels, founder member Claudio Matteo on guitar, fellow guitarist Mark Schildknecht, Billy La Pietra on drums and bassist Beat Kofmehl. The album kicks off with a salvo of five songs that are heavy and up tempo; the pick of these being ‘She’s So Hot’ which features a Zepplin-esque riff and ‘Lonely Rider’ which has an intro reminiscent of AC/DC. A change of tone follows with the next 3 tracks: ‘Gates of Heaven’ is an acoustically led ballad that wouldn’t be out of place on a Bon Jovi or Def Leppard release; ‘On My Way’ is a cracking track, with a feel of Cheap Trick’s ‘I Want You to Want Me’ about it. This could be a big hit if marketed properly. ‘Stay’ is the third of the tracks in this middle section and has a slightly loose feel to it and a big chorus. The remaining four tracks maintain the general level of quality displayed by their predecessors and, all in all, this is a solid release, studded with a few tracks of greater class. The album is well produced and the musicianship on show never falls below a high standard. Whilst this not the most ground breaking or innovative album you’ll ever hear, it is nevertheless a release of high quality and worth a listen.

LABEL:

FORMAT:

Metal Heaven

Album

LIGHT UP THE DARK

Review by Dave Uphill

RUNNING TIME:

47:44

RELEASE DATE:

28th March 2011

TRACK LISTING

1) Light Up The Dark
2) Hey Yo; 3) She's So Hot
4) Girl On My Screen
5) Lonely Rider
6) Gates of Heaven
7) On My Way
8) Stay
9) Deadly Sweat
10) Trapped In The City
11) Right Here, Right Now
12) Flesh And Bone

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

Switzerland

"Whilst this not the most ground breaking or innovative album you’ll ever hear, it is nevertheless a release of high quality and worth a listen."