REVOLUTION SAINTS: "Revolution Saints"

Rating: RR
Label: Frontiers 2015
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

"Make damn sure the check's in the mail" - Seriously. I don't get it? The brand new project and experienced musicians such as Jack Blades (Night Ranger), Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Burning Rain, Hurricane) and Deen Castronovo (Journey, Hardline), yet not a single songwriting credit amongst them? Thus why the opening sentence and call for $$$. Revolution Saints - probably the biggest sell-out since MTV decided to replace the M as in music with butt ugly reality shows? Lol! Harsh words. But if you've been here before, you know I tend to speak my mind with just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek. Yeah right. Attention seeking tosser? Whatever. First and most the music fan though. So let's get down to business and discuss the actual music then?

The need to know. It's a Journey spin-off project put together by big chief Serafino and trusted side-kick: Alessandro Del Vecchio. The latter is responsible for penning down most of the tracks and it's basically the Del vecchio project feat. hired guns. They are massive Journey fans and the next best thing to being a member of the band is creating your own spin-off? It helps when Castronovo, Journey drummer and also lead vocalist on this platter sings in the tradition of Steve Perry only not quite as grande (there's merely one Perry and that's Katie???). Credit to Deen for stellar performance and vocals though. What's more, current Journey man and singer (Arnel Pineda) guest appears on, "You're Not Alone".

Voilá or should I type presto? The stage is set and the show must go on in the tradition of Journey. Some of the highlights: "Turn Back Time", the g-r-e-a-t track with lyrics by Blades. Ok. My bad. That's one and I repeat one co-writing credit by the three and it's lyric not music. "Way To The Sun" feat. Neil Schön, the great semi-ballad and more in the style of Cheap Trick or Damn Yankees than Journey actually. "Better World", reeks of late eighties AOR movie soundtrack and not your typical Journey arrangements. The Eclipse written "To Mend A Broken Heart", all good stuff. The majority of the rest of the tracks are just too bland to this particular reviewer. Blades merely play his bass and add some backing vocals while Aldrich is merely performing at 25% of his best. Drenched in wimpiness and any band fronted by Steve Augeri (former bloke upfront), I guess this could be the nice and cozy experience if you simply can't get enough of the you-know-what related sound.