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Shotgun Alley is the 5th album of the Hamburg-based band who is around for about 10 years and toured with bands like Doro, Saga and Uriah Heep. Musically they offered hard rock, sometimes at the edge of melodic metal, but this album is melodic metal! The songs are straight forward and catchy, great guitar riffing and grooving. That is the first impression you get, especially as Opera Burns is fitting that description. On the title track they are more mid-tempo, but the catchy chorus is soon spinning in your head. Lyrically its about someone who grow up with violence on the streets and who is no stranger to crime. Totally alone after serving time in prison for someone else. Definitely no typical lyrics for this genre. Followed by Hollywood Daze which first seems to talk about wild parties and drugs, but when you listen more closely it's about the people who live this life and are the rulers - in one way or another. The track is a bit faster, heavy guitar riffing and the vocals have an aggressive touch. A mid-tempo groover is Shadows Of My Soul. It's heavy and has some unusual sounds for the Hanseatic. They don't really use oriental sounds, but some parts bring up this sound image. A highlight on Shotgun Alley. With Price Of Love they present a powerful ballad. Nice, but nothing special.
At Kick It they present a Mötley Crüe vibe. This song could have been on one of the 80's releases of the Americans. A party song. While Sweet Taste Of Life is a heavy, guitar-based track with a touch of progressiveness. The keyboard line is a counterpart to the guitar riffs and so the song gets a soft pop touch. With King Of The Neighbourhood they speed up again. The headbanging track on this CD. Last, but not least a.... ballad! Make A Cross is based on acoustic guitar and very atmospheric... emotional. Touching and bittersweet. Sad, but with a spark of hope. Very cool!
The song Twisted Love is not keeping up with tracks like Hollywood Daze or Shotgun Alley, even if lyrically this one has still something to offer. In general it's a good idea to listen closely to the lyrics, coz singer Gino Naschke always try to write about daily life - as it is for some - and at the same time about unusual situations. Ways of living.
The first edition of the CD comes as a double CD and has as bonus a best of Châlicee.
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