On disc: Place Vendome

 
 Place Vendome
 
- Claudia Ehrhardt -
 
 


 
 Streets Of Fire
 
- Claudia Ehrhardt -
 
 


 
 Thunder In The Distance
 
- Claudia Ehrhardt -
 
 

Thunder In The Distance

(Frontiers Records - 2013)



 
 

 

Thunder In The Distance is the 3rd album of Place Vendome, a project featuring Michael Kiske. While Michael Kiske is presenting metal with Unisonic, Place Vendome is offering a mix of melodic metal, hard rock and AOR. He teamed up once more with guitarist Uwe Reitenauer (PC69), keyboarder Günther Werno (Vanden Plas), drummer Dirk Bruinenberg (Consortium Project) and bassist and producer Dennis Ward.



The opener Talk To Me is a catchy melodic metal tune which becomes special due to Kiske's unique vocals. Broken Wings is a up-tempo rocker, almost AOR-ish. The keyboard sound is sometimes a bit too 80's-like and it's not the sound I would have expected from Günther Werno. Perhaps a producer's decision...



The slow It Can't Rain Forever has 80's backings, but it's Michael Kiske's emotional vocals which ennoble the song. Fragile Ground is a keyboard-based tune, another melodic metal tune. One of the highlights is Hold Your Love, coz they try something different. They go off the beaten track, something they should do more often. Actually the second half of the album is the stronger one with tracks like Never Too Late, Maybe Tomorrow and Heaven Lost.



My main criticism is that due to working with several songwriters there isn't a sonic red fathom. In my opinion it would be better to concentrate on a small group of song writers and to stick to one genre. Even if I like AOR, hard rock and melodic metal, I prefer not to have them mixed up too much or have the songs sung by different singers to give the character of a compilation. It doesn't mean at all that it's a bad album. And fans of Michael Kiske will enjoy his performance anyway. And the band is doing a great job, no doubt about it.




 
 










Claudia Ehrhardt


  
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Streets Of Fire

(Frontiers - 2009)



 
 

 

In 2005 Frontiers Records presented the self-titled debut of the all-star project Place Vendome, now it's time to present a follow-up. The musicians are the same, but several songs been contributed by other song writers.

Keyboard slowly leads into the album which starts with the title track, but then they explode! An up-tempo melodic metal track develops with heavy riffs, a symphonic touch, a catchy hook and a great melody - thanks to Leverage's Torsti Spoof. A good opener! And it seems that Place Vendome is on fire this time - at their debut the songs lacked passion, but not this time! Magnus Karlsson wrote My Guardian Angel and the emotional rocker has a balladesque edge - and you believe Michael Kiske every word he sings. A very strong tune and so a good choice for a video clip - which is included as a bonus. At the debut I found the production somehow cold, but even if this album doesn't have the warm sound of analog recording, it gets much closer to it. Former Dionysus drummer Ronny Milianowicz - now Saint Deamon - wrote the following Completely Breathless. The mid-paced balladesque tune is emotional and carries a sad note, but isn't melancholy. The guitars step back a bit and give way to the keyboard - and that's exactly what this song needs! After Follow Me - an up-beat rocker with a positive vibe - they offer Set Me Free which is slightly melancholy and switches between slow passages based on keyboards and vocals and guitar-driven up-tempo parts. Another fast one, but with a bombastic edge is Believer, the song has a positive vibe - and the guitars add this early 90's melodic metal feeling. Valerie revives the early 90's and I guess at that time it would have got a lot air play! Another touching balladesque track is A Scene In Reply - another one from Ronny Milianowicz -, first a slow passage, but for the refrain they add some power and back to the slow opening theme. One of my faves is Surrender Your Soul, but I can't really say what makes this differ from the others... At Dancer Michael Kiske manages again to touch you with his voice. Enchanting. The closer is I'd Die For You... Enthralling! A powerful balladesque tune where the band steps back and give space to Michael's voice. But then they speed up a bit, add power, symphonic sounds and a bombastic edge. Great lead guitar part - and after the refrain the song slowly fades out.

The debut had well written songs and there was nothing to complain about technically, but the album lacked something... It sounded somehow sterile... lifeless. But know they achieved to add passion and the sound is warmer, too. It seems it was a good idea to get some song writers involved and even with the different composers the album sounds homogenous. And so there is nothing left to complain... Nothing? Well, I miss a real ear catcher, a song which hooks you up immediately and which haunts you for days. But that's criticism at a very high level! So, if you like hard rock / melodic metal, then this is a real treat for you!
 
 










Claudia Ehrhardt


  
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Place Vendome

(Frontiers - 2005)



 
 

 

So far most will think of the Parisian square when they hear Place Vendome, but this might change soon! Frontiers' label boss Serafino Perugino had the idea for this all-star project and so Place Vendome came to life. He got members of Pink Cream 69 and Vanden Plas involved, but the most interest will Michael Kiske raise.

With heavy riffs and melodic keyboard they start into the fast Cross The Line. And as soon as Michael Kiske joins in his voice ennobles the tune. It's no secret that Michael Kiske turned away from heavy metal and even if this track has metallic riffing, it's a melodic metal tune. Sure, the song isn't showing anything new, it's 'just' another melodic metal song, but it comes alive through the vocals! Nice guitar solo -  nothing to complain about the craftsmanship or production! The production was handled by Dennis Ward, who also played bass and added some guitar parts and keyboards. Beside Ward you hear Kosta Zafiriou on drums, Uwe Reissnauer on guitar and Günter Werno on keys. After the fast Cross The Line, they slow down and turn to hard rock / AOR with I Will Be Waiting. Here I miss a bit the warm sound of 80's hard rock releases... The sound is a bit cold... sterile. But still a good tune, but it can't really hook me up. With an 80's rock flair they present I Will Be Gone which vocally reminds me of a rock version of an Helloween tune - so Michael Kiske sticks to his vocal style. A slow powerful balladesque tune is The Setting Sun which sticks out due to Kiske's vocals. He can add the special something. The title track is a heavy up-tempo rocker with a positive vibe, but again it can't really touch you... For a brief moment it reminds me of Tyketto - the vocal melody line... Heavens Door didn't get me, but Right Here is better, even if it ain't an ear catcher. With Sign Of The Times they symphonically lead you out of the album - but its still a riff-based rocker with metallic riffs. The harmony vocals take off some heaviness and stay in sharp contrast to the heavy riffs. A slower passage leads over to a lead guitar part - and back to the main theme.

The album is based in 80's hard rock / melodic metal, but the production is a bit too polished... Place Vendome's debut lacks something many all-star projects lack - the organic sound a band has and the passion for their music. And so the good songs can't shine, even if songs like The Setting Sun can hook you up, but still... Technically everything is perfect, but sometimes that isn't enough. Sure, it's great to hear Michael Kiske again and the songs are good, but... Listen and make up your mind!
 
 










Claudia Ehrhardt


  
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