Great band Shakra, gutsy melodic Hard Rock with a slight Metallic edge, plenty of balls, great songs and huge hooks that soar. Over the years they’ve put out some great stuff and whilst their last two albums (‘Back on Track’ and ‘Power Play’) have kept that high standard the band set from the start they were never really the same without original vocalist Mark Fox who gave them an ‘edge’ on heavier albums like ‘Fall’ that is now thankfully back.
In a way ‘High Noon’ could be said to be looking back towards that heavier sound they were known for – think a harder edged Bonfire or Gotthard and you get the idea. This is Melodic Rock meets Hard Rock and it’s a match that’s beautifully crafted and lovingly put together.
If you are not impressed by the openers ‘Hello’ and “High Noon’ then you might s well tune out now, they bring a real kick to proceedings and sound like the band of old. When you add to that the sheer catchiness of ‘Into your Heart’ and the Blues-influence of ‘Eye to Eye’ you have the essence of Shakra on a plate.
Everywhere you turn there’s more gold from the hard rocking majesty of ‘Is it Real’; through the slower, cool as hell ‘Life’s What You Need’ to the powerful ‘The Storm’. And the good news is that the album closes out just as well.
Long time fans will love the return of Mark Fox and if you aren’t already familiar with the band this is a great place to start for fans of Harder-edged Melodic Rock.
