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Mark Slaughter: Halfway There

Melodic Hard Rock/Metal

4.5/5.0

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EMP Label Group
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 17.05.2017

To some surprise, considering his vast musical experience, Mark Slaughter, vocalist for Nineties namesake rockers Slaughter, never cut a solo album until 2015's Reflections In A Rear View Mirror. Not wanting to stand still or rest on those laurels, Slaughter returns with Halfway There, now signed to Dave Ellefson's EMP Label Group.

Mark Slaughter

Largely, Halfway There is a sequel to its predecessor. Once more Slaughter does everything on the album, from songwriting and arrangements, production to engineering, vocals to guitar to nearly all other instruments. His musical style remains the same, namely melodic hard rock with a significant metal edge. Can you say, Ditto?

Or just push repeat. That's not meant to be condescending by any means. But you're still probably wondering if, with a mere two albums, Slaughter has found his proverbial groove, and now there's nothing new under the sun. Not necessarily. There's something to say for constant consistency, and there's some mighty fine tunes here.

For instance, there's some kick ass rockers like Hey You, the heavier edged Conspiracy, or the frisky guitar filled Turn It. Alternatively, songs like Supernatural and Forevermore, while still offering a metal edge, turn on AOR accessibility in the melody and groove, and the chorus in Supernatural kills. Then there's the title cut, Halfway There. Something of a hybrid between an arena anthem and hard rock ballad, it turns on a sweet piano line, catchy refrain, and a epic guitar solo in the latter half. Something similar comes with Not Here, where subtle piano twists with lighter electric guitar and notable bass line before opening up for more ambitious riffs, leading to another sweet guitar solo at the mid point. And there's a brief preview of what's in store for you.

Fundamentally, Mark Slaughter's Halfway There is a strong and consistent return to form for the artist, an engaging and entertaining album of well-crafted melodic hard rock tunes with a crisp metal edge. Recommended.

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

Mark Slaughter's Halfway There is a strong and consistent return to form for the artist, an engaging and entertaining album of well-crafted melodic hard rock tunes with a crisp metal edge. Recommended.

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Now entering their second decade in music biz, Sweden's Wildness returns with latest and fourth studio album, Avenger. Band personnel has remained consistent for the last four years with the addition of Erik ... [ Read More ]