Band : Tesla
Album title : Forever More
Label : Frontiers
Distributor : Rough Trade
Release date : 07/11/2008
Release : CD

Well, finally...4 1/2 years after 2004's Into The Now (reviewed by yours truly, but proof of that is lost for posterity on the website) here's finally a decent new studio album by cult Rockers Tesla. Let's... please...completely forget that 2-disc covers album Reel To Reel review by yours truly posted 28/08/2007 - which the band released on their own effort with distribution deals in different parts of the world, shall we?, because that...mistake...might've been nice for the absolute Tesla fan, but was a true horror for lovers of good music, myself included!

At the end of August 2007, Tesla embarked on their first world tour in 16 years with dates in Australia, Japan and Europe in October and November. In November the band issued the A Piece Of Time EP, containing not only 3 more covers, two alternate versions of Tesla songs, a non-acoustic version of a song played on their Five Man Electrical Band album, but also the band's own take on the Christmas classic "Silent Night".During February 2008 the band helped fund and headlined a benefit concert for the victims of the Station nightclub fire, the show being broadcast through VH1 Classic. July 15 saw the release of the Comin' Atcha Live! Concert DVD, and the band's former (say first) record label capitalized on the recent newsworthyness of the band by issuing the Gold compilation album on August 26. Meanwhile, the band put together a special Fan Club Package for the diehard Tesla fan (comprised of "one-of-a-kind items", an exclusive home video/ behind the scenes footage DVD, and entrance to a new exclusive fan site). (wish I could tell you more, but for some reason I couldn't get onto tesla own website)

The new album was produced by Terry Thomas who did the same job on the band's 1994 album Bust A Nut, and contains 12 tracks which show the band in all its facets: Rockin' out at certain moments, goin' for a balladesque approach at the other (the Rockers have the upper hand though). This is the Tesla I personally like best: without trying to bring their own version of somebody else's hit songs, bringing their own material, which prevents the lead singer from having to emulate somebody else's singing style (in which he usually fails anyway)! If you wanna hear short samples from àll songs, you can surf to amazon.com, because at myspace.com/teslatheband you'll only get a full-length version of I Wanna Live (also as video, another video serving as promotion for the live DVD). In the US, the album is issued under the band's own label. Although the info provided by Frontiers doesn't mention it, and depending on the info source, the retail version would host a bonus track called "My Way" (according to Rockdetector) and an additional live version of "What A Shame" (Wikipedia).

Meanwhile, Tesla have brought us a very nice new album with all-original material...kudos!!! With several concerts already done, Tesla is currently still touring the US, and plans to come over to Europe for the Festival season come next Summer!

86/100

Tony.