Feinstein! One hears the name and starts to wonder if bands are running out of names to call themselves. However, this particular outfit is the brainchild of David "Rock" Feinstein, formerly of The Rods and even further back Elf, where he played the lead guitar. People might be interested in knowing that Rock Feinstein is also the cousin of the legendary Ronnie James Dio.
The CD kicks off with "Regeneration", and this is a power rocker of a tune. Solid double-bass throughout and a very Bruce Dickinson/Don Dokken-esque vocal line by John West (Royal Hunt). Without trying to draw too many comparisons on someone it is simply who he reminded me of at first listen. I don't think those two have done any vocal wrongs so it is not a bad thing to say of Johns vocal abilities. One of the main things that I liked about this CD was the fact that it brought me back to some of the glory and power that was 80's heavy metal, with its solid guitar riffing and steady double bass drums along with the power vocals. I felt myself in need to dig up some of my older CD's after listening to it, as I felt the influences of Judas Priest and Dio in the music. Surely the group was inspired by some of the finest metal created. Feinstein's guitar wizardry is very impressive, and it should be as he has been involved in the industry for so many years.
I really had a hard time defining my favorite numbers from this CD as I ended up liking and re-listening to so many songs. To take a stab at it I would have to say "Regeneration", "Streaming Star", and "Masquerade" are my most listened to tracks. There is even a slower number for fans who move towards that slow driving kind of piece, "Far Beyond". Instrumental fans will enjoy "Inferno" which is the closing number on the CD. Packaging wise it is a full color 12 pager that has some cool artwork inside and out as well as a few band shots. Most of the pictures are of Feinstein and John West, but there is a band group shot in the center. The booklet includes lyrics to all the tracks, which is always a plus in my book. I hate when we see a release with a simple fold out and no lyrics outlined.
Joining "Rock" Feinstein and John West are Jeff Howell on Bass Guitar, Nate Horton on Drums and Bob Twining on Keyboards, each one melding their talent into one enjoyable piece of music. The production of the CD is excellent also, as this is another of the Magic Circle Music bands which many people will recognize as Joey DeMaio's (Manowar) label. With MCM Joey seems to be taking a focused interest on the bands he is putting out the label. His intervention almost guarantees that the record will not lose any of its heaviness in the production stages. MCM is under the SPV banner for this release.
I recommend this for old school metal fans, or people who just are willing to give new music a shot. I was not disappointed so I would hope you will not be either.
Track Listing
1. Regeneration
2. Rebelution
3. Streaming Star
4. Third Wish
5. Rule The World
6. Masquerade
7. Far Beyond
8. Poison Ivy
9. Live To Ride, Ride To Live
10. Firefighter
11. Inferno
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