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TNT: A Farewell to Arms
TNT A Farewell to Arms album new music review

TNT: A Farewell to Arms

Hard Rock
3.5/5.0

AOR/Metal Heaven
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by Kees-Jan Stel,  01.10.2011

With TNT you never know. After the indifferent reception of A New Territory (2007) and the experimental journey Atlantis (2008), the band shows up with A Farewell to Arms, their third effort with vocalist Tony Mills, the man who replaced long time singer Tony Harnell in 2006.

It's tempting to say TNT has gone back to their roots. However, in this case, I'm not sure which roots to choose from since the history of these Norwegian gents reads like a jigsaw puzzle. And not just line-up wise. Musically my memory recalls multiple representations of the rock spectrum ranging from AOR, melodic rock, pop rock, hard rock and heavy metal.

With only 38 minutes, not including the bonus track, the album is relatively short which is never an issue when the songs are great across the album. While A Farewell to Arms may not be that great, it certainly isn't bad either. Clearly the band has made a serious attempt to wash away the doubts that surrounded their last two efforts, and for most part, they succeeded. The guitar, held as ever by Ronni Le Tekro, is more dominant. The songs have a much harder edge and more straight forward then the last two, sometimes inconsistent, outings with Mills.

To the songs, A Farewell to Arms is a satisfactory blend of styles. There’s melodic hard rock tracks like Engine, Refugee, Ship In The Night, Don't Misunderstand Me, Someone Else and the title track. Others border on metal like Take It Like A Man-Woman, Come and Barracuda. The slow and smooth part is represented by the instrumental A Signature On A Demons Self Portrait and the obligatory rock ballad God Natt Marie. Whilst failing to make a lasting impression, this album certainly brings the band back to what we recall and should expect from a giant like TNT.

History always reveals something about the future, so don't be surprised if TNT comse up with a melodic rock album next time, or a pop rock album. What's the verdict then: welcome back again boys? For TNT fans it's confusing, but if you’re in for a round of plain hard rock, you can have a good time with A Farewell to Arms. Let’s also hope A Farewell to Arms is also a farewell to the recent fickleness.




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In Short

For TNT fans it's confusing, but if you’re in for a round of plain hard rock, you can have a good time with A Farewell to Arms. Let’s also hope A Farewell to Arms is also a farewell to the recent fickleness.

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