Album Review: Blade Cisco – Edge of the Blade (Art Of Melody Music/Burning Minds Music Group)
Edge Of The Blade is the official debut album by Italian melodic rockers, Blade Cisco. Hailing from Italy, Blade Cisco were formed in 2007 after a meeting of a group of friends, sharing the love and common passion for the music of classic AOR/melodic rock acts just like Journey, Foreigner, Night Ranger, Styx, Magnum, Def Leppard and FM.
Edge Of The Blade is scheduled for release on December 13th 2019 via Art Of Melody Music/Burning Minds Music Group.
There’s no mistaking the AOR in opener, Memories. It exemplifies that sound, the mellow yet powerful rock rhythm a deliciously sweet tasting start that is heavily focused on delivering a sing-along tune.
Off course it’s far from a one-off. This is an album jammed with catchy choruses, energetic riffs, classic guitar solos and plenty of extras thrown in too. It’s all of that which makes Anything (Without Your Music) and Foolin’ Myself such a thrill. The latter in particular with strong 80s vibes thanks to synth and a guitar rhythm that is delicately bouncy.
The first rock ballad arrives next with Rain Over Me and really sounds like it could be played at the teary conclusion to a romantic movie. Take that for what it is but personally, it’s sickly sweet and that’s not a good thing.
It’s back to the good time rock with Life is A Lottery, the title track and Hungry for Love. Each one delivering everything you could hope and everything you could expect from a very classic sounding AOR album. Although it has to be said that the latter is one of the best tracks on the album thanks to the galloping pace of the guitars and drums.
It’s rock ballad time again and once more, Blade Cisco prove they know exactly what they’re doing with Grey. The screech and whine of the guitars, the mellow vocals, the powerful chorus that has so much ‘air grab’ about it, it’s almost funny.
Strong throughout even though it’s sounding dated as hell, Blade Cisco deliver a few more hitters with Invisible to Me and We Are Still Standing. Before My Way ends the album with another ballad. The blandest of the three, it’s a disappointing finale but not bad enough to derail what is an overly fun album.
It’s not world-changing music, not in 2019 but it doesn’t always have to be. Sometimes it can just be a warm nostalgic trip and that’s what Edge of the Blade is.
Blade Cisco – Edge of the Blade Full Track Listing:
1. Memories
2. Anything (Without Your Music)
3. Foolin’ Myself
4. Rain Over Me
5. Life is A Lottery
6. Edge of the Blade
7. Hungry for Love
8. Grey
9. Invisible to Me
10. We Are Still Standing
11. My Way
Links
Blade Cisco - Edge of the Blade (Art Of Melody Music/Burning Minds Music Group)
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The Final Score - 8/10
8/10