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Hartmann: Balance

AOR/Melodic Rock

3.0/5.0

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Avenue of Allies
by Craig Hartranft,  05.21.2012

It's difficult to find fault with Oliver Hartmann and another new album, and I'm loathe to do so. Hartmann is one of our finest rock, sometimes metal, singers and a fine songwriter. Balance is his fourth album in his continuing solo career.

Hartmann: balancing the shadows.

Generally, Balance starts well and with good intentions, but then sputters to a inconclusive finish. At the outset all My Life, a nice opening rocker, After the Love is Gone, a hefty ballad, and Fool For Your are the most notable tunes here. That latter song, if arranged a bit differently, could have sounded like Whitesnake song.

From Save Me to the end, with one exception, all you have is basically mild AOR melodic rock, rather melancholy and mundane at that. Curiously, Dance on the Wire begins with a spin on the opening licks of Sweet Home Alabama. The exception in these last seven songs is the cover of Tears For Fears' 'Shout,' which seems slightly heavier than the original.

Likely, fans of Oliver Hartmann will dig this album, and they should have no qualms about making the purchase. However, to these ears, with the lighter, sometimes droll, tone of the milder melodic rock songs, I'll move on. Listen and convince yourself.

With Balance, Oliver Hartmann has the equilibrium tipping more towards lighter AOR melodic rock, with a few rockers as back up.

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The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]