Band : Mennen

Album title : Planet Black

Label : Wacken Records

Distributor : SPV - CNR

Release date : 26/05/2008

Release : CD (retail version = + DVD)

Weert based Dutch band Mennen started their life back in 1992 as a musical continuation of lead vocalist Joss Mennen's previous band Zinatra. With screaming guitars and pounding basses, the guys brought a Heavy Rock variety which still had a foothold in AOR. The self-titled debut of 1994 was produced by Wolfgang Stach (who'd later become infamous for producing Guano Apes) and released through the T & T imprint. The boys were quick enough to re-enter the studio to record their second album Back To The Real World, which had a somewhat darker and heavier touch to it, saw the band experimenting somewhat with saxophones and steel guitar, and got released through Red Sea in 1996. Before the release of that album however, the Dutch province of Limburg was stuck by floods, and to raise funds for the victims, Red Sea also released Mennen's benefit single River Of Tears in late 1995. The sophomore album was supported by a strong presence on the live circuit, but this also grew to internal tensions within the line-up, and during the writing process of third album Age Of Fools (Red Sea, 1998) the band lost their second guitarist and bassist. The bassist was replaced, but the band continued as a foursome. In many ways, the slimming of the line-up brought forth a much stronger band, and to capture the live vibe the quartet recorded their set at Biebob (in Vosselaar, Belgium) for the 2001 live album Circle Of Live (released this time through Snakebite).

Which is when I first got acquainted with Mennen, and I have to admit I was only slightly impressed with their music, which I found to be rather average in the genre. Nevertheless, the live album more than any other release was the basis for many doors opening for the band throughout Europe, the band profiting from the occasion to include France, Portugal, Germany, and Belgium in their concert agenda. Mennen returned with new album Freakazoid (recorded in their own studio and mixed by Erwin Musper)only in late 2004, presenting an album which saw the quartet go for a somewhat more modern approach. The band's Hair Band look was also drastically altered to a shorter and modernized cut, and the guys again took the album to the road all over Europe. In 2005 the guys geared up for a couple of shows in the US, and they decided to record one of their gigs while over there for release on the Freakalive album. Before they set out on their American adventure, they had recorded a new album with Muster. By the time they came back from the US, they had a live album, a studio album, a soundtrack for a documentary about the American music scene, and a documentary about the making of Planet Black. After some deal negociations with the Armageddon Music label, Freakalive was released in late 2006.

Which brough the band to the year 2007 and negociations with Armageddon (who were to change their name to Wacken Records) for the release of the new studio album. Negociations which for some reason took a hell of a lot of time to be realized (both legal departments of the band and the label going over the contracts over and over again), and in between some important things happened with the band. First, they were proud to support Saxon at the Paradiso in Amsterdam in March of 2007. A first release date was proposed to coincide with the Wacken Open Air festival (Mennen doin' a German tour with Victory before that event) but then the release was postponed. And in the end that was not such a bad thing after all, because bassist Alex Jansen got sick, forcing the band into cancelling most of the shows in the latter part of 2007. Then, longtime guitarist Eric van der Heiden decides to leave the band because he feels he's musically grown in a direction different from the other guys...and the remaining trio were forced to start the search for a new axeman! Not surprisingly, the band got a lot of response to their querry for a new guitarist, and they were contacted by both big names, and hopeful wannabees, with or without talent, some with a craving for big money...but the correct answer for our trio was only found by the guys taking an addictive run on MySpace, where they happenstanced on the profile of Joss' old friend Gino Rerimassie, formerly guitarist of Zinatra. A hopeful request was sent, and much to the glad surprise of the trio Rerimassie was willing to step into the line-up. From the first meeting sparks were flying all over the rehearsal room, and the boys haven't looked back since, in stead looking forward to the inevitable release of their Planet Black album!

Which, as you've gathered, is an album without the new guitarist! I have to say that the new Mennen contains even more surprises than the preceeding studio album. The album opening title track is immediately the perfect example for the weird guitar atmospherics played on top of the moderate by groovy and catchy rhythm guitar, sustained by the pounding drum and bass, and topped off by Joss' high-pitched vocals. The ensuing "Can't Get It Out Of My Head" is more in the band's old style, and sounds somewhat out-dated, I'm afraid to say. "Power To The Bone" returns to the modern approach (as you can hear at myspace.com/mennenrocks). If it wasn't for that repeated freaky guitar lick, "Solitary Man" would've feel in the out-dated sounding category of songs as well. Then, "Fool Put Aside" sees the guys taking yet another approach which includes the use of piano. Towards the end of the song you also get some truly great, layered harmony backing vocals (besides Joss repeating the chorus verse, one or two of the other guys repeat another sentence, and on top there's some choral female backings). From the opening guitar lick of "On Fire", you get this anticipative feeling of coming greatness...and the band delivers with a track which has its basis in a very nice Blues-laden, double guitar play. Should be impossible for the band to play live, unless Joss...or a guest guitarist...joins on second guitar! From the this moment on the label fucked up the track-list on our promo copy of the album, and I'm therefore uncertain in which order the remaining 7 songs come. Notable are the somewhat lengthy "Mr Father" (lengthy because the singer repeats certain verses a couple of times too much...which is a pity, because it kinda fouls up the great solo). On their MySpace, the band still offers the (semi-) balladesque "Wait Another Day" (as well as one track off the previous studio album and a track from the Zinatra days), but when you get a chance to give the album an in-store listening session, be sure to also listen to album closer (if indeed it doés close the album – see detail about track-list earlier) "Future Ahead", which is about as loungey as one could get!

When push comes to shove, I still have to rate the album, and I'm afraid I have to consider the fact that, when not listening to the album with headphones but on my stereo system, Joss's high pitch starts to get on my nerves after a couple of sessions...in spite of the very nice musical side of the whole. Of course, yoù are perfectly free to disagree, but personally I go for a rating of...

85/100

Tony.