LIVE: "The Turn"

Rating: RRRR
Label:
Review by: Martien Koolen

Finally after a long hiatus of eight years there is a new album by LIVE, the Pennsylvania quartet from York. The Turn is their eight studio album and I can already say that it is a good, decent rocking album with 11 brand new songs. Well, what else is new with  LIVE? The lead singer is now Chris Shinn (formerly of Unified Theory), as you know of course that Ed Kowalczyk left the band, and the other three original members Taylor, Dahlheimer and Gracey are also back on track. In the late eighties and the beginning of the nineties   LIVE had massive hits with songs like Lightning Crashes, I Alone and The Dolphin's Cry, but now the new era of LIVE has begun. The new songs of The Turn are filled with great hooks, riffs and melodies and without any doubt there are many songs on this album to sing along to. Take for example Natural Born Killers, 6310 Rodgerton Dr. or By Design which all have very catchy choruses and have that typical LIVE sound and atmosphere. New vocalist Shinn does a great job and in the rather dark, heavy opening track Sirens Call (one of my favs on the album) he actually sounds like the vocalist from Soundgarden! Another great song is called The Way Around Is Through featuring a great guitar melody and lots of vocal power. Unfortunately this album also features a misser as the last acoustic track Till You Came Around is utterly boring. However, the rest of the album is great as the music bursts with energy and the sound is harder and heavier than before, making The Turn a big rock album, which you have to play very loud through your loudspeakers. LIVE is back and I hope they are here to stay! The Turn crashes loud and clear, get it now.