Bad Habit: Atmosphere

After last year's "Best Of" titled Timeless, Bad Habit return with a new studio album and after the slight controversy that the two new songs on Timeless created with their tougher stance and more "modern" outlook, it was with baited breath that I first listened to Atmosphere.

I needn't have worried though, as on the whole Atmosphere is a classy mix of up tempo melodic rock and heartfelt AOR, which when in the capable hands of vocalist Bax Fehling and guitarists Sven Ciruski and Hal Marabel (who also contributes keyboards) results in some glorious hooks, huge choruses and top notch musicianship. That's not to say that the new direction sought on the two fresh cuts from Timeless has been completely ignored, as there are a few moments when the riffs on the likes of "Without You", "In The Heat Of The Night", or "I'll Die For You" could almost be likened to Nightwish, but there is always an undercurrent of melodic keyboards and Fehling's glorious voice to keep things from straying too far out of the territory that Bad Habit normally inhabit.

Highlights come thick and fast with the bright guitars and thumping beat of "Words Are Not Enough", or the sultry melodies of "Angel Of Mine" illustrating the breadth of styles that Bad Habit can bring under the same umbrella with a slick, and skilled ease. Fehling is a great vocalist whose voice emits emotion with every note and the gritty edge that he has found over the last few Bad Habit releases adds to his voice's appeal. His best work is found on the wonderful mix of tempos that is "Fantasy", while the band are in top form on power ballad "Save Me" and the aforementioned "In The Heat Of The Night", which opens the album with an uncompromising crunch.

Atmosphere will undoubtedly satisfy long term fans of Bad Habit and while it may not quite hit the heights of some of their fantastic catalogue, it does have the sort of edge that could hopefully broaden Bad Habit's fan base.

Track Listing
1. In The Heat Of The Night
2. Words Are Not Enough
3. Everytime You Cry
4. I Wanna Be The One
5. I'll Die For You
6. Angel Of Mine
7. Fantasy
8. We Are One
9. Only Time Will Tell
10. Break The Silence
11. Save Me
12. Catch Me When I Fall
13. Without You

Added: January 8th 2011
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Bad Habit Official Web Site
Hits: 3230
Language: english

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