SEVEN THE HARDWAY

I think it needs to be asserted before I begin this review good and proper that I've long respected Tony MacAlpine as a musician. Anyone handpicked by Steve Vai to play in his touring band is most certainly worthy of anyone's attention. Fact. However, it is with some regret and a heavy dose of irrefutable disappointment that I must report 'Seven The Hardway', the eponymously titled debut from his new band meanders between average (at best) and utter drivel. Where do I begin? Well, MacAlpine performs guitars, bass and keyboards, of which there is some fine playing. Of course there is. It's Tony MacAlpine after all. Well respected sticksman Virgil Donati delivers the goods on drums. However, it starts to fall down with vocalist Mark Boals - a man famed for his work with Yngwie Malmsteen - but his singing is distinctly lacklustre here and incredibly pedestrian. The blame for the album's failings does not lie solely with him though, as the songwriting is, for want of a better phrase, just plain boring. Clichéd and weak palm muted guitar riffs, that might have been exciting circa-1985, plague just about every track which makes for a very unstimulating backbone at the core of the album. Boals sings adeptly but his vocal melodies are uninteresting throughout, as the compositions provide him with little opportunity to flourish. Produced by the band themselves, the album was placed in the hands of Roy Z for the final mix, and that too is even lacking, and below par from what one would expect from such a renowned producer. On paper, this should be something quite special but, sadly, it is far from that. The packaging's nice though - a lavish digipak case. However, refrain from being lulled into thinking this is something good from the personnel involved. Very poor indeed.

LABEL:

FORMAT:

Mascot Records

Album

SEVEN THE HARDWAY

Review by Mark Holmes

RUNNING TIME:

44:44

RELEASE DATE:

23rd August 2010

TRACK LISTING

1) Liar
2) Guilt
3) Solitary Man
4) Where I'm Going
5) All I Had
6) Blame
7) The Wall
8) Good and Evil
9) Happy Ending
10) The Cage

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

USA

"Clichéd and weak palm muted guitar riffs, that might have been exciting circa-1985, plague just about every track which makes for a very unstimulating backbone at the core of the album."