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Mecca: Everlasting
Mecca - Everlasting Album Art

Mecca: Everlasting

AOR Melodic Hard Rock
4.5/5.0

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Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 14.04.2023 | Released: 21.04.2023

It's time to catch up with Joe Vana and his Mecca project. The last album I heard from Vana was 2011's Undeniable (which arrived nine years after his debut album). Five years later, 2016 brought III on the Melodic Rock Records label. Vana followed this in 2020 with a two disc set of original demos, appropriately titled The Demos. Returning to Frontiers Music in 2022, Mecca dropped a compilation album, obviously titled, 20 Years. Now, Vana returns with Mecca latest and fifth studio album, Everlasting.

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Mecca: Joe and Joey Vana

With Everlasting, we find Vana solidly in his Eighties classic AOR rock groove. After all his mentor and muse at the beginning was Survivor's Jim Peterik. Moreover, Joe Vana has passed on his love for the genre to his son Joey. On Undeniable, we were introduced to his fine guitar work. Now, we find Joey sharing lead vocal duties with his father. The tag team vocals may have been going on prior to this but I'm not sure without complete information. Nevertheless, the second video below, The Mistakes We Make, provides an excellent example of this father-son talent.


That song is also a great segue to mention a few more. The Mistakes We Make is a straight up rocker, fast with lots of groove. Similar brisk harder rock comes with Living In Fear, Your Way, and I Won't Walk Away. Alternatively, smoother, more AORish, songs arrive with And Now The Magic Is Gone, Falling, and These Times Are For Heroes. Yet, that last song builds and pumps up with some strong rock gusto. Perhaps the closest thing to a ballad is the title cut. Everlasting has a steady, yet rising, pace moved along by a fine piano line and terrific vocal harmony. A final mention must be made of the fine mixture of keyboard and guitar solos. Again, with The Mistakes We Make video, this can be heard and seen. All things considered, Mecca's Everlasting, featuring father and son duo, Joe and Joey Vana, is another gifted and entertaining album of classic AOR melodic hard rock from these masters of the genre. Easily recommended.



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The Take Away

Mecca's Everlasting, featuring father and son duo, Joe and Joey Vana, is another gifted and entertaining album of classic AOR melodic hard rock from these masters of the genre. Easily recommended.

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