Artist: OZONE
Album: SELF DEFENCE (CD)

Year: 2015
Media type: CD

Chris Ousey has had an excellent singing career that goes way back to the times of “Monroe”, “Virginia Wolf”, the fantastic “Heartland” an outstanding solo recording and more recently “Snakecharmer”. He is nicknamed “The man with the golden tonsils” and that is a fine accolade indeed for he has earned it. His effortless vocal range has gained him a top spot in the world of classic UK hard rock.

Steve Overland is a legend in his own lifetime. Is there anyone out there who is not familiar with his name? He has a history that goes way back into the late seventies, his first major recording was with the band “Wildlife” in 1980. After the demise of “Wildlife” Steve went on to form the cult British melodic rock band “FM”, a band that released many great albums throughout the eighties and nineties and right up to 2015. Their popularity has always been at the forefront of British Hard Rock. Steve has also fronted many great bands in recent years, such as “The Ladder”, “Shadowman” and of course he has recorded three fine solo albums.

The two “O’s” have joined forces on a collaboration that has been whispered for years now and the rumours have all been true as this great union is about to be unleashed on the world. This is just beyond a dream, even the thought that two of the finest melodic rock vocalists in the UK would come together and record an album.

We all know the work of Mike Slamer (City Boy, Streets, and Seventh Key) and his amazing production expertise, well here he outshines all of his previous work with a razor sharp explosion of talent. Mike has a knack of making great music sound even better and this is all the evidence we need. Check out songs like “Smile before you lie” and “Practice what you preach” for superb examples of melodic hard rock. Tommy Denander (Paul Stanley, Alice Cooper, and Radioactive) once again joins forces with Mike as song writer plus sharing guitars, keyboards and bass on many of the songs, and on top of it all you get some great backing vocals from Kansas members Ronnie Platt and Billy Greer just like icing on the cake!

This is an outstanding album and its lives up to the hype: this is a recording that will leave you open jawed and begging for more as it ticks all the boxes and more.

TRACKLIST:

Track 1Tiger By The Tail
Track 2 Let The Good Will Out
Track 3 So Blind
Track 4 Destiny
Track 5 Shadow On The Sun
Track 6Save My Soul
Track 7 Evolve
Track 8 Self Defence
Track 9 Smile Before You Lie
Track 10 Lifetime
Track 11 Practice What You Preach
Track 12 Visionary Man

LINE-UP:

Chris Ousey: Lead Vocals and backing vocals
Steve Overland: Vocals and backing vocals

Mike Slamer – Guitars / B3 Organ / Keys / Bass
Tommy Denander – Guitars / Keys / Bass
Ronnie Platt – Backing vocals
Billy Greer – Backing vocals
Billy Trudel – Backing vocals
Kerry Denton – Drums
The Late and sadly missed our dear friend Christian Wolff – Guitars and Keys on “Evolve”
Erik Sabo - B3 organ