593. Primal Rock Rebellion / Awoken Broken. 2012. 4/5

Being the middle aged father of three working class husband that I have become over recent years, I knew nothing of this collaboration until its full announcement on the Iron Maiden website just before the album was released. I can honestly say that I was pleased to hear of it.
Adrian Smith is a giant in the industry, and his song writing has always been fantastic. Being a part of Iron Maiden, it is possible to see that he can have his creative talent hamstrung by the fact that Steve Harris has a stranglehold on the writing and performance part of the recording process. In the past he has had other creative outlets outside of his time with Maiden, including A.S.a.P and Psycho Motel, as well as his time with fellow Iron Maiden alumni Bruce Dickinson.
Mikee Goodman is formerly of the band SikTH, which I cannot say I have heard any of. However, his credentials were certainly top shelf from what I have read elsewhere.

From the very beginning, this comes across as refreshingly different and pleasingly not cliched in its approach. Those of us who know Maiden can immediately recognise the traditional Adrian Smith style, and yet it is much different from what most would know from that band. The guitars are a grungier heavier style through the meat of all the songs, and yet still melodically so. The solo breaks are typically brilliant Adrian. Through this, the songs are a different style and yet comfortably familiar. Mikee Goodman is no less important in this collaboration. His vocals fit like a glove to the music, and though I have not heard him on anything but this album, I must say that I am impressed with his singing and writing. Smith and Goodman's vocals also combine beautifully in some of the songs (see especially in "Tortured Tone"). Add to this the drumming of another original SikTH member Dan "Loord" Foord, which is terrific, and this is really comes together as a complete package.

Songs like "No Friendly Neighbour", "Bright as a Fire", "Tortured Tone" and "Awoken Broken" are my favourites (so far) on this album, as much as for the variety they showcase. Goodman's vocal ability is perhaps best appraised in "Awoken Broken", when he gives half a dozen different techniques in the one song, which only enhances the song, not detracting from it. There is almost as much variety in Smith's guitaring technique, and not forgetting the bass lines that he also plays on the album.

Apart from showcasing the members obvious skills both in musicianship and writing, this feels like more than a side project. This feels like a fully fledged band, that has the ability to go as far as the members want it to. Maybe - probably - that won't occur. No matter what, this is brilliant debut album, one that transcends many musical genres, and that will grow on you the more you listen to it.