As we get towards the ‘Best Of’ portion of the year I can’t actually believe that after interviewing Robin about ‘Alive’ we didn’t post the review! So here it is – just in time for the pointy end of the year!
If like me you’ve been a long time fan of Mr. McAuley’s pipes then the last few years have been very fertile ground for one of Ireland’s finest Rock voices. It may have been a long road from Grand Prix through MSG and Michael Schenker Fest to playing with Black Swan, but the last few years have shone very brightly and now comes a second solo record in as many years. So if you love great music and appreciate one of the best voices in Rock doing what they do best then ‘Alive’ the new solo album is a must hear. For me it even edges the wonderful ‘Standing on the Edge’ from 2021.
‘Alive’ doesn’t break new ground and that’s the beauty of it – it just does what we want it to – marrying a great voice with some great songs. Well produced and maybe even a little more metal than it’s predecessor, All it takes for me is ‘Alive’ the title track to know we’re in safe hands – it’s a real mid tempo moody rocker that starts out like a Nightwish song before Robin’s trademark vocals kick in. ‘Dead as a Bone’ that follows has a riff that reminds you of Dokken before Robin rides it home showing both the power and versatility of his craft.
The other side of the coin of course are the slower numbers and there are some crackers within! ‘Bless Me Father’, the first of them, is chunkier, and sweeps towards what might be the biggest chorus on the album! It’s gold!
My hand was in my pocket after the first three songs and to be honest this one keeps up the fire to the very end. There’s some great guitar work and ‘‘Feel Like Hell’ sees Seveso having fun. The tracklisting is a winner too as it keeps changing things up wonderfully.
‘Can’t Go On’ is a case in point – a wonderful, epic ballad sandwiched between two rockers – the second of which ‘The Endless Mile’ really kicks things up a notch. ‘Fading Away’ gets a little funkier and groovier, whilst ‘My Only Son’ showcases the keys to great effect but also stays true to the overall heavy feel of the album.
We close out with three great songs ‘When The Time Has Come’ is one of my picks of the album and the most melodic taste here and another in that Dokken vein that suit’s Robin’s voice so well. ‘Stronger Than Before’ get’s a little heavier and we close with the rocking ‘Who Am I’, well if I can answer that one for you Mr. McAuley – you are undoubtedly one of Rock’s finest voices. Without a doubt one of the top releases of the year!
If I’m doing anything at 70 as well as Robin is singing on this record I’ll be more than grateful.
8 / 10