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On disc: Los Angeles



Neverland - Lars Björn - 4 stars
Neverland - Claudia Ehrhardt - 7 stars


www.micheleluppi.com







Neverland

Neverland
(Frontiers - 2009)


Melodic AOR band Los Angeles are ready with their new CD Neverland. Singer Michele Luppi is known from Italian band Vision Divine, and later the band Killing Touch. Unfortunately they haven't succedeed with the songwriting for this album. Ex-Dokken guitarist George Lynch helped with the song Nowhere To Hide. And it helps. On the song Wait For You there is a big help from Tom & James Martin (Khymera, Sunstorm, House of Lords). The old Richard Marx song Nothing To Hide is included on this album, just to sum up the pop / rock spirit. But there are too many songs that are anonymous.


4 stars

Lars Björn
 

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Neverland

Neverland
(Frontiers - 2009)


Los Angeles is a project of ex-Vision Divine singer Michele Luppi where he can show his love for AOR and melodic rock. Their first album was released in 2007 and now he's back with Neverland. Again he and bassist Fabrizio Grossi hooked up with some other musicians and this time more songs been written in cooperation.
They kick off with the heavy rocker Neverland. The song is guitar-driven and shows some reminiscences to 70's hard rock and 80's melodic metal. With Richard Marx' Nothing To Hide they present themselves more balladesque and emotional, but a bit heavier then the original. I like both versions, so I won't complain. ;)
After City Of Angeles they have Promises which also could be a Richard Marx or Joshua Kadison tune... Balladesque semi-acoustic song, especially the piano passage... But later the speed up and the song becomes a melodic rocker. Nowhere To Hide is a melodic metal tune with expressive vocals and a catchy hook. In the late 80's / early 90's this would have made it into heavy rotation at MTV. Another highlight is Living Inside which has a cool guitar solo to offer. Actually you'll find a few cool song supporting solos on the album, unfortunately I have no information who's playing them. Sorry.
Musically Los Angeles are offering some AOR and melodic heavy rock tunes. But it's mainly Michele Luppi's vocals which makes them differ from similar artists. But I miss a real highlight, a song which enchants you, which haunts you... Anyway, the songs are will please you and fans of AOR and melodic rock should check out Neverland!


7 stars

Claudia Ehrhardt
 

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           ©2008-2010 by Claudia Ehrhardt • E-Mail: contact@ice-vajal.com


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