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Tom Galley's Phenomena: Blind Faith
Tom Galley Phenomena Blind Faith album new music review

Tom Galley's Phenomena: Blind Faith

Melodic Hard Rock/Metal
4.5/5.0

Escape Music
www.myspace.com/tomgalleysphenomena
www.projectphenomena.com
By Craig Hartranft,  09.13.2010

Tom Galley, famous for his Phenomena works (with brother Mel and Wilfried F. Rimensberger) from 1984 to the collected edition of 2008, resurrects the project for another time with Blind Faith. Within is the first original material since 2006's Pyschofantasy, and the disc is packed with some fine and entertaining melodic hard rock.

As per previous Phenomena works, Galley recruits some significant players, especially on the vocal side, to enrich the production. The heavy hitters include: Mike DiMeo (Riot & Masterplan), Rob Moratti (Saga & Final Frontier), Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear), Tony Martin (Black Sabbath), Robin Beck, Mikael Erlandsson (Salute & Last Autumn's Dreams), Chris Ousey (Heartland), Steve Overland (Overland, Shadowman, FM), and Terry Brock (Strangeways & Giant. Equally impressive is the number of instrumentalist Galley brings including Ian Crichton, Matt Sinner, Stefan Lindholm, Tommy Deander, among others. If this crew isn't enough to attract your attention, then I suggest you quit reading.

With all this talent, one wonders where the emphasis lies on the disc. I'll walk out on a limb here, and say the emphasis is on the singers, but not to the primary exclusion of the songs or the instrumentalist. The vocalists really caught my attention, particularly Ralf Scheepers on Fighting, Moratti on House of Love, Chris Ousey on If You Love Here, Robin Beck on I Was Gonna Tell You Tonight, and Mikael Erlandsson on Angels Don't Cry (freakin' awesome song!). Having noted this, these songs happen also to be the best cuts on the album, with the trio in the middle I Was Gonna Tell You Tonight, Angels Don't Cry, and If You Love Her the most brilliant.

While on a whole Blind Faith is consistent pleasure, some songs do fall short making the beginning and end unreliable. The Sky is Falling and Blind Faith were weak at the start, and I wondered where things we were going to the end. They simply didn't 'hook' me. Then, in conclusion, One More Chance also seemed off, and a bit of low spot for the quite talented Terry Brock.

Nevertheless, these reservations are easy to overlook and overcome, thanks to the genuine creativity and intrigue of the whole album, especially with genius of songs like Angels Don't Cry and If You Love Her. Blind Faith is a fine return to form for Tom Galley's Phenomena project, a potent disc of melodic hard rock from one who knows the subject. Very recommended!




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In Short

Blind Faith is a fine return to form for Tom Galley's Phenomena project, a potent disc of melodic hard rock from one who knows the subject. Very recommended!

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