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Chris Bay: Chasing The Sun
Chris Bay - Chasing The Sun CD Album Review

Chris Bay: Chasing The Sun

Melodic Hard Rock
5.0/5.0

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SPV/Steamhammer
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 28.02.2018

We all know Chris Bay as the founder, principal songwriter, and lead vocalist for the German melodic power metal band Freedom Call. Now we're going to get know him as a solo artist. Drawing from an extensive cache of songs over his long career, Bay drops his first solo album Chasing The Sun for SPV Steamhammer.

Chris Bay Photo

Chris Bay

If you're expecting more Freedom Call, you're sniffing the wrong fire hydrant. With a first spin I thought I had been transported back to the Eighties, but not for the infamous sleaze hard rock and hair metal of the day. Rather, with the abundance of synths, I heard INXS, Ultravox, and especially Simple Minds (and that was before I read the label's promo one-sheet). Yet, while those band's had some rock groove, I always thought of them as pop rock dance music. With Chasing The Sun, Bay delivers something more akin to melodic hard rock, yet washed through Eighties synth pop rock.

So moving on to some of the tunes. Right from the start with Flying Hearts the synths fire up, moved along by a hasty rock groove and Bay's dense vocal arrangement. Move On finds Bay in a different, almost stern, voice in a song that turns upon bouncy symphonic keys and a catchy chorus. Radio Starlight is a radio-friendly crisp rocker intended for sing-a-long road trip. If you can't get in the groove, you're too old for rock n roll. Silent Cry was the song that most reminded me of Simple Minds, mostly in the sweeter vocal arrangement and that combination of dance rock groove. But the clear dance rock groove comes within the poppy and bouncy Hollywood Dancer. Try to keep your toe from tapping. If there's a true heavier hard rocker, it comes with the riff roaring Bad Boyz, which also has the clearest guitar solo. The album rounds out with arena anthem, Love Will Never Die, where Bay's soaring voice rises over a lush synth arrangements.

Honestly, Chris Bay's Chasing The Sun is entertaining, catchy, and fun stuff. Something different, and completely unexpected from Freedom Call's vocalist. Who knew? Easily recommended.



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The Bottom Line

Chris Bay's Chasing The Sun is entertaining, catchy, and fun stuff. Something different, and completely unexpected from Freedom Call's vocalist. Who knew? Easily recommended.

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