New Music Review : Ten - Heresy and Creed : CD Album Review : Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Power Metal, Progressive Rock Metal : Dangerdog Music Reviews

December 2024

After Lapse: Pathways
Illusion Force: Halfana
Powell-Payne: Voilá

November 2024

Sunstorm: Restless Fight
Storace: Crossfire
Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
Lionville: Supernatural
Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
Lonerider: Down In The Dust
Seventh Crystal: Entity
Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
Impellitteri: War Machine
Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter

October 2024

Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
DGM: Endless
Daytona: Garder la Flamme
Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
Frost*: Life In The Wires
Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
Fans Of The Dark: Video
Radioactive: Reset
House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire

September 2024

Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
Eclipse: Megalomanium II
SteelCity: Reverence
Hydra: ReHydrated
Heartwind: III
Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
Find Me: Nightbound
The Nail: The Nail
Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
Stryper: When We Were Kings
Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly

August 2024

Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
Paralydium: Universe Calls
Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2

[ More Music Reviews ]

Ten: Heresy and Creed

Melodic Hard Rock/AOR

4.5/5.0

Website Facebook
Frontiers Records
by Craig Hartranft, 10.18.2012

Gary Hughes, Ten's founder, is a prolific songwriter, always has been. So it's no surprise the latest and tenth Ten album, Heresy and Creed, has 13 songs, 14 if you get the Japanese version, clocking in at over an hour. And they're all good, with not a lick of filler to be found.

Ten: minus four.

Of course, the best thing about Ten's music is Hughes uncanny ability to blend hard rock, sometimes nearing a metal edge, with the accessibility and groove of AOR melodic rock. Frankly, he's a wizard. Straight out of the gate, passing the intro, Arabian Nights touches guitar driven melodic metal and Gunrunning, a catchy heavier melodic rock with that AOR groove. And that last description could apply generally to all the tunes here.

The Lights Go Down, Another Rainy Day, and Insatiable have arena rock quality. Then for songs slipping between anthem and ballad you have Raven's Eye, The Last Time, and The Riddle. A heavier quick-paced rocker returns with Unbelievable, something heavier and a bit slow burning with The Priestess. Between Hughes's versatile vocal style and the band's musicianship, the songs are expertly performed and presented. And Heresy and Creed simply sounds terrific, thanks to Dennis Ward being at the knobs.

Simply, Gary Hughes and Ten have produced another melodic hard rock AOR winner with Heresy and Creed. Easily recommended.

CraigHartranft.net - New fiction, crime fiction by Craig Hartranft

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.