I love everything about this band– and this album. Their very British classic AOR sound; their edge of your seat pacing and those choruses! Always great choruses.
Vega are at the forefront of the British melodic rock scene. Vocalist Nick Workman has one of the most likeable voices in AOR.
It’s harder to pinpoint the band’s best album now that they are up to number four – they’ve all impressed for similar reasons.
Once again the band’s dynamic works some melodic magic and conjures up another 11 cracking chorus and hook driven songs that cannot be removed from your head.
And producer Harry Hess (yes, him!) brings some element of restraint to the band. I’ve said previously that Nick has the habit of sounding on ‘full’ – all the time. Here there is more light and shade with his vocals and I think it makes him sound even more impressive and also gives the songs more balance.
Explode moves faster than ever; We Got It All is darker and moodier; Every Little Monster is pure AOR bliss and Nothing Is Forever is a great power ballad.
White Flag uses the typical Vega build-and-explode method of chorus delivery; For Our Sins is more subtle, but is a terrific memorable melodic anthem; Generation Now turns on the angst and delivers another killer chorus and Ignite turns full-throttle moody.
Its throw your hands in the air anthem time with Saving Grace and the lighter feel good If Not You; with Hurt So Bad rounding out an album of anthemic greatness. A wonderful conclusion to an album with zero filler.
On the subject of production, I think the snare is not quite in sonic alignment with the deeper tone of the rhythm section, and the vocals continue to be too far down in the mix. But minor points amongst a hundred other positive superlatives.
Nothing I haven’t already said before about this great band – torch bearers for classic AOR and melodic rock in Britain, with enough of a modern edge to make them vital now, not just as another band riding on the past. Another clear winner and possibly their most consistent and anthem filled album yet.
