Though they might have the silliest name in hard rock/heavy metal, there's no denying just how potent Pink Cream 69 have been since their inception back in the late 1980s. Headstrong, their latest release for Frontiers Records, is their 12th overall, and continues with the rock solid line-up of vocalist David Readman (ex-Adagio, ex-Voodoo Circle, current Tank), bassist Dennis Ward, guitarists Alfred Koffler & Uwe Reitenauer, and drummer Chris Schmidt. Coming four years on the heels of Ceremonial, Headstrong is another spirited affair, chock full of muscular melodic hard rock and bluesy metal, led by a storming Readman, who is one of the most underrated vocalists on the scene and just puts on a clinic here, especially on tunes such as "Unite and Divide", "Walls Come Down", and the moody "Man of Sorrow". Plenty of guitar mayhem to be found as well, as on "Path of Destiny", the melodic metal strains of "Bloodsucker", and the massive crunch of "Whistleblower", each one stacked with tasty riffs and sizzling solos. Toss in a couple of bluesy pop rockers, and you have a very enjoyable album from the always dependable Pink Cream 69.
But wait, there's more...Headstrong also comes with a bonus live disc, recorded in Ludwigsburg back in 2013, containing a wealth of kicked up older Pink Cream 69 favorites. "Special", "Talk to the Moon", "The Spirit", "Break the Silence", plus a few others, making for a nice little extra disc of goodies for longtime fans.
Track Listing
- We Bow To None
- Walls Come Down
- Unite And Divide
- More Fear
- Man Of Sorrow
- Path Of Destiny
- Vagrant Of The Night
- Bloodsucker
- Whistleblower
- The Other Man
Bonus Live Album (Recorded In Ludwigsburg (2013):
- Special
- Talk To The Moon
- Break The Silence
- Do You Like It Like That
- The Spirit
- Livin' My Life For You
- Wasted Years
- Welcome The Night
- Shame