1143. Alcatrazz / V. 2021. 2/5

There was a trend a few years ago now where bands that had good followings in the 1980’s, but had broken up over either ‘musical differences’ or the fact their sound became less relevant in a changing market, found that 20 years on their songs were suddenly popular again, and so the bands reformed and began touring and writing again. Now, this was mostly true of the 1980’s pop and new wave bands, but it also happened for different styles of metal bands as well. Alcatrazz proved to be one of those bands. Having released three albums who, to be fair, were more famous from the lead guitarists in Yngwie Malmsteen and then Steve Vai that were playing on them than the rest of the band themselves (at least, that’s how I discovered them), the band went on a hiatus for a 20 year period between 1987 and 2006, when lead singer Graham Bonnet put a new band together under the name. This outfit toured for a number of years before again disbanding. Then in 2019, original members in Jimmy Waldo on keyboards and Garry Shea on bass guitar joined back up with Bonnet, along with guitarist Joe Stump and drummer Mark Benquechea, and the band released their fourth album titled Born Innocent. In essence, this could have been the album I was reviewing here today, but just a few months after the album was released, the band announced a split amongst their ranks, reportedly due to conflicts with the band’s management. Graham Bonnet was out, and in his place the band recruited veteran band hopper vocalist Doogie White in his place. Not only that, they didn’t muck around waiting another 34 years before they released their NEXT album. Indeed it was only ten months later that this album arrived. So the questions that arise are obvious. What does a band from the 1980’s have to offer in the 2020’s when so much time has passed from their heyday? And given that Bonnet had been the frontman that everyone knew from the band, and who had sounded so great on the Born Innocent album, could they find a way to make this an album that pleased all aspects of the fan base?
This album is a much more traditional heavy sound than the albums from the 1980’s actually are, which were recorded and released in the middle of that era! It’s an interesting development that this album is harking back to a popular era of heavy metal music, but ends up being a heavier release than the band actually recorded in the 1980’s. Perhaps in this day and age that isn’t that unusual.
In regards to the songs, they are all a good solid mix of hard rock sound with some nuances to both heavy and hair metal. “Guardian Angel” is a solid opening track giving all of the band members their chance to introduce themselves, before moving into the further up-tempo of “Nightwatch”. “Sword of Deliverance” is a funny one for me. The vocals appear to be at an awkward level. It almost seems to be offkey the way Doogie is getting the lyrics out at an unusual pitch. And for the most part this feels the same on “Turn of the Wheel”. It is a strange way to sing those songs. Doogie can sing, we all know that, but on these couple of songs it is an interesting and slightly off putting expression. What is also off putting for me is that part of the solo break by Joe Stump in “Turn of the Wheel” is a dead ringer, almost note for note, of the solo in Yngwie Malmsteen’s “I’ll See the Light, Tonight”. It just has to be deliberate it is so close, so is it being done as a tribute to the former Alcatrazz guitarist, or is it simply being stolen? I can’t answer that, but maybe I’m the only one who has listened to this album that has picked it up. But it isn’t the only case of this being done on the album, because the solo riff in “Alice’s Eyes” is also, for me, taken from Blaze Bayley’s “Ghost in the Machine”. Now music is not an exclusive artform, there are going to be times when riffs and melodies are borrowed from other songs in creating new songs, but sometimes it feels like it is too much of a coincidence. Anyway...
I guess if I’m going to continue to be picky, I’d best get back to the vocals. “Return to Nevermore” again has a vocal melody line that seems out of focus, and the chorus does tend to drone a bit. But you know, maybe that’s just me. Beyond that, the album ends with some good tracks. “House of Lies” really is a Bonnet song, you can imagine him singing this with gusto, it has that sound about his era of Rainbow, and despite the repeating lyrics has a great upbeat tempo about it that Doogie does well. “Alice’s Eyes” utilises a great guitar and bass rhythm with solid drum back beat that drives the song along. And the closing track “Dark Day for My Soul” rounds out the album in a less hectic but high level tone.

To be 100% honest with you, I would probably have not given this album a second thought when I saw it had been released except that it came in a lull of material for me to listen to. It has sat on my playlist for a good six weeks, getting its dues every day, but without ever really grabbing my attention to listen to more. In the long run I guess I have done this review on it more for the fact that it has paid its dues and probably needs to be moved on.
The band plays well, the musicianship is great, and like I have mentioned the songs themselves are less pop oriented hair metal than the band wrote almost 40 years ago. But they aren’t scene stealers, and even that one major attention grabber in Graham Bonnet no longer resides in this version of the band. Alcatrazz never really appeared to be huge in their day, and anyone who didn’t have a clue who they were would not have given this album a second glance. The fact that their main point of fame is Japan is probably where this market will lie. Unless you are a hard core fan of the band from your youth, in the long run I think you can safely look elsewhere for your next new album to listen to.