| CD REVIEW Driver |
 |
|
Band : Driver Maybe hard to believe at first, but this release has a history that goes back to 1990 and even further, to 1986! Driver was the name originally taken by the project which included guitarist Tony MacAlpine, former Black Oak Arkansas drummer Tommy Aldridge, and Ozzy Osbourne bassist Rudy Sarzo. At first the threesome had recruited former Yngwie Malmsteen singer Jeff Scott Soto, but he was soon replaced by Jeff Fenhold (who'd had a tenure with Bible Black, Rondinelli, Joshua, Armageddon, and even Black Sabbath!). Fenhold stayed about a year, during which the band was offered a deal by Epic. But the deal didn't hold and Fenhold left to become a successful TV evangelist. Rob Rock, formerly with Vice, Joshua, and Impelliterri was then enlisted to record the album. Interestingly, the starting letters of the band members spelled M.A.R.S., and so the project was renamed as such, the 1987 released album getting the title Project: Driver. The project was ended when, soon after the release, Aldridge & Sarzo started their short-lived NGR before being enlisted into the ranks of Whitesnake. Rock revived Driver in 1989, enticing his former Joshua collegues Emil Lech Brando (bass, also a veteran of Terrif and Soundbarrier) and Greg Schulz (keyboards), also enlisting guitarist Roy Z and drummer Reynold "Butch" Carlson (ex-Sahara). In 1990 the quintet recorded a 5-track demo with Paul Sabu behind the knobs, which was well received by both press and fans worldwide. However, record labels were already looking forward to get big revenues from the whole Grunge scene, and in spite of several showcases for labels the guys never succeeded in getting signed. Rock subsequently moved to Connecticut, taking along Roy Z and Brando, where the threesome continued Driver with the aid of drummer B.J. Zampa. However, when Rock was invited to join Impelliterri again, Driver was folded. Roy Z would found Tribe Of Gypsies and become an in-demand producer (among his "clients": Sebastian Back, Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford, Helloween, Judas Priest, Rob Rock and others). Both he and Carlson would be employed on Rock's 2000 solo album. Zampa worked with Tony MacAlpine, Yngwie Malmsteen, Thunderhead, and David Wayne's Metal Church. Over the years, fans of both the singer and guitarist (who were the main writers of the material) have continued to ask for a hard-copy release of Driver's demo, and in early 2008 the duo decided to make work of recording the album they had wanted to deliver all those years ago! Rock, Roy Z and Carlson enlisted the services of bassist Aaron Samson (of George Lynch, Rowan Robertson, and John 5 repute) and veteran keyboardist Ed Roth (Rob Halford, Glenn Hughes, Impelliterri, Ronnie Montrose, etc...), and wrote 7 new songs to make a complete album with the 5 original songs. Stylistically, the music is best described as a typically American Heavy Rock of the late '80s. Keyboard-driven, the music's main features are Rock's strong high-pitched voice and Roy Z's exhilerating guitar work (highlighted foremost in instrumental album opener "Titans Of Sound"). The material is very varied in intensities with heavier tracks like "I'm A Warrior" and the title track being alternated against more melodic and sensitive stuff like "Never Give Up" and "Tears That I Cry", both of which have a balladesque side to 'em. With "Change Of Heart" the guys even bring a wonderfully beautiful ballad, thus showcasing the band at its most vulnerable. At myspace.com/driver1990, you can find a total of 6 songs off the album as a taster to the album. The resurgeance of several "old" Rock and Metal styles these last couple of years has at least provided Driver with the possibility to get their album out, but whether the band will be able to establish a fanbase big enough to make a living in the current day music business remains to be seen. My personal feelings are somewhat mixed. On the one side this kind of music is such a big part of my past life that I can still enjoy listening to albums with such material, appreciate the little details (quircky guitar loop here, wacky keyboard sound there) which prevent it from becoming a low profile release. On the other hand, since the early '90s I've discovered so many other musical styles, so many interesting hybridizations have been developed that...although I will never betray the kind of music that I grew up with...I can't help but be somewhat less exhilerated with this than I would've been 20 years ago! Still, for people who've since grown up with a more one-tracked musical mind, this album would indeed be a worthy addition to their collection! 84/100 Tony. |