Artist: VIOLENT STORM
Album: STORM WARNING (CD)

Year: 2007
Media type: CD

A new band and K.K. Downing of JUDAS PRIEST produced it and played two solos? Yngwie Malmsteen guests on two solos? Wow, that is two really big names right off the bat! Who the heck are VIOLENT STORM then, you ask? Exactly my words, so a little bit of research produced the info that it is none other than Mick Cervino, formerly bassist with Yngwie, G3 and BLACKMORE’S NIGHT, who is the head behind this, accompanied by drummer Lou Sorrentino (ex Ritchie Blackmore and ZEBRA) and singer Matt Reardon. Add to that Downing on “War No More” and “Deceiver” and Yngwie on “Fire In The Unknown” and “Pain Is For Me”, plus Roy Z (who also mixed the album) on two tracks and you have one hell of a line-up!

Musically VIOLENT STORM are not all that violent, playing Hard Rock with some Heavy Metal eruptions, so if you hoped for Thrash with the band name, think again… The opening two tracks could almost fool you, though, as both “War No More” and “Fire In The Unknown” are up-tempo Metal crackers with great melodies, lots of energy and Reardon’s a bit rougher voice fits perfectly, one hell of a start for an album! After that they take it down a few notches and it’ll take a bit before we will welcome the Metal fury back, but the classic Hard Rock these three guys belt out is not to be sneered at either, not at all.

“Screaming In Your Face” and excellent “Meaningless Life Of Misery” are very good Rockers, same goes for the driving “Alimentary Fable”, before “Deceiver” begins balladesque with a great melody, just to step on the pedal shortly after, very nice song as well!

If you look at the big names involved in the production, it is a little surprising that it lacks a bit of crispness and clarity, which takes a bit away from the songs, but still, if you like powerful Hard Rock with some Heavy Metal for good measure, give VIOLENT STORM a try, you should not be disappointed!

TRACKLIST:

1. War No More
2. Fire In The Unknown
3. Deceiver
4. Pain
5. Alimentary Fable
6. Screaming In Your Face
7. You Don't Care
8. Owning You
9. Empty Hope
10. Storm