Revolution Saints' 'Light in the Dark' - Album Review

AOR is not always a particularly popular genre of music in this day and age, so it is always great to hear new albums of that style. 2017 has already seen quite a few excellent new AOR albums however, and there was a day back in March that saw new albums from Brother Firetribe, Eclipse, and Night Ranger - it was as if the clocks had been turned all the way back to 1985 for the day! Since then however things have been fairly quiet on the AOR front, at least for bands that are on my radar, so I was pleased earlier this month when Light in the Dark, the second album from AOR power-trio Revolution Saints, was finally released. Revolution Saints were put together in 2014 by Italian melodic rock record label Frontiers Records and is comprised of vocalist and drummer Deen Castronovo (Cacophony; Bad English; Hardline; Ozzy Osbourne; Steve Vai; GZR; Journey), vocalist and bassist Jack Blades (Night Ranger; Damn Yankees), and guitarist Doug Aldrich (Lion; Hurricane; Bad Moon Rising; Burning Rain; Dio; Whitesnake; The Dead Daisies). Frontiers founder Serafino Perugino had apparently wanted to put out an album that showcased Castronovo's vocal talents, and the work that was initially to be a solo album ended up becoming the self-titled Revolution Saints album. Castronovo is of course more known for him drumming skills, but during his seventeen year stint behind the kit for AOR titans Journey he began to take the lead vocally on a few songs in the band's set. His smooth, melodic voice was often compared to that of Steve Perry's and there were many fans out there that were as keen as Perugino to hear a whole album dedicated to Castronovo's vocal skills. When Revolution Saints came out however, I was initially disappointed with it. While the material always left a strong impression, I was disappointed that Revolution Saints had become yet another Frontiers 'project' with songs written by the label's in-house songwriters. Producer and songwriter Alessandro Del Vecchio single-handedly wrote most of the album, and the band just recorded the songs in the studio. It seemed a real shame not to use the writing skills of the band, all well-established musicians already, and to rely so heavily on Del Vecchio's plentiful material. Revolution Saints was consigned to the back of the pile after a couple of listens, and I assumed it would be another one-album project. I was surprised to see then that the band were working on a follow up, and that this time it would be a band effort. When I received my copy of Light in the Dark I was pleased to see that virtually the whole album was written by Castronovo, Aldrich, and Del Vecchio, and it is clear that the three have formed a strong writing partnership already. The material here is still AOR of course, but often with a meatier tone thanks to Aldrich's signature guitar playing. Fans of the band's first album, and of the work of any of the three main musicians involved, are sure to find a lot to enjoy here.

The album's title track, and lead single, kicks things off in familiar fashion mimicking the sound from the band's debut. Aldrich's choppy riff drives the whole song, and Del Vecchio's keyboards provide that AOR sheen. While Castronovo is the vocal focus on this album, as with the debut Blades also contributes vocally here too and this song is sung as a duet between the two. It works well as the two play off each other perfectly, and this especially comes to a head during the melodic chorus. On the whole, this album is more varied and less immediate than the band's debut, but this song really helps to draw the listener in with an stadium-sized chorus and a lengthy, flashy Aldrich guitar solo. Freedom immediately showcases a much tougher sound, with Aldrich's heavy riff driving the intro along with a haunting keyboard backing. The verses are fairly slow, with the riff remaining along with Blades' snaking bassline, and sees Castronovo singing in a uncharacteristically restrained way which fits with the dryer sound. The chorus sees the song expand somewhat with a strong keyboard presence and choice uses of harmony vocals. The instrumental section of the song starts with a retro sounding keyboard solo, before Aldrich explodes into one of his trademark guitar solos that ends in a flurry of notes. I have always thought that Aldrich has such an instantly recognisable guitar tone and style, so it is great to hear him playing with so much freedom throughout this album. Ride On is an instantly more upbeat track, with Del Vecchio's jaunty keyboard melodies following the guitar riffs perfectly which really encapsulates that mid 1980s sound. The energy that this song creates is infectious, and it retains a good pace throughout with Castronovo's double bass drumming to drive everything. The chorus is pure Journey, with plenty of melodic harmony vocals, the guitar solo is a demonstration of Aldrich's virtuosic ability. I Wouldn't Change a Thing is a cover of a song by Mr. Mister's Richard Page that appeared on a solo album he released in 2012. It is a power ballad that is led throughout by Del Vecchio's sombre piano playing. It is a fairly sparse song and never really ramps up with any power, instead letting the piano and vocal melodies dominate. Cleaning guitar arpeggios and a few heavier power chords are introduced after the first chorus but this never really changes the energy of the piece. This is a song that really is all about Castronovo's vocal performance, and really highlights that he has a genuinely excellent voice that can carry real emotional weight when needed. Don't Surrender, which was written in conjunction with Simone Mularoni (DGM; Empyrios), is another slab of pure AOR and is easily my favourite piece here. It opens with a frantic riff, before turning into more of a mid-paced rocker with a tight drum groove that dominates with the other instruments weaving in and out when required. It is the song's chorus that really makes it a winner however with stadium-ready melodies, the likes of which have not been heard for a while. The song has a real feel-good factor to it, something which is common with most AOR, and it never fails to put a smile on my face. Take You Down is the first song here that fails to really connect. After an excellent start to the album, and a particularly excellent preceding number, this song just struggles to match up. Despite having a pretty strong chorus, it is just a song that comes and goes without ever really making any kind of impact.

The Storm Inside is better and opens with a heavy riff that draws you wandering attention back in. Despite this, the song is not a particularly heavy one, with a pretty low-key verse but it works well by using lots of subtle vocal harmonies to create a hypnotic sound along with an excellent bassline from Blades. The chorus is the opposite what is expected as the drums drop out and leave Castronovo singing atop a simple guitar line. This does ramp up in power in subsequent reprises of the chorus, but this comes as a bit of a shock initially despite working quite well. A lengthy guitar solo from Aldrich is the song's highlight however, and showcases him in a more restrained mood than usual, with longer melodic note choices instead of his usual busy style. Can't Run Away from Love is another ballad, which again is led by Del Vecchio's melodic piano playing. This song is a bit more direct than the album's previous ballad, with a heavy percussive base throughout with some excellent mid 1980s-style booming drums. The impact is not lessened by this however, and Castronovo's voice still dominates with his unique fragile power. Aldrich one again proves his modern guitar hero status with another excellent guitar solo. This one is a really emotional moment, with lots of soaring note choices that really compliment the song's mood perfectly. Running on the Edge picks up the pace a bit and opens with a big keyboard melody, something which resurfaces throughout the song to help add an extra dimension. The verses are quite sparse, with Aldrich's guitar mixed into the background, but the song really explodes and comes alive during the chorus. The song's upbeat energy carries it, as there are not as many stand-out melodies here as there probably should be, but the grooves remain infectious as they are played at the speed that they are. Another Chance opens with one of Aldrich's powerful riffs that comes roaring out of the speakers and immediately grabs the attention. This is another song that really plays up to the AOR stereotypes but it does it really well. The song's chorus is another winner, and one of the album's best. It is another moment that really helps to lift any mood and the walls of harmony vocals just make it sound huge. The album comes to a close with Falling Apart, a slower song that builds in power as it moves along. It is built around another massive chorus that really sounds like something Journey would have written in the early 1980s. It is clear that Castronovo's years with that band have rubbed off on him. The fact that much of the song is fairly slow, as portions of the verses are, only helps to amplify the power of the choruses. This is also reflected in Aldrich's guitar solo, which is somewhat slower than usual but helps to enhance the song's melodic nature. Many albums of this nature would have chosen one of the faster songs to end on, but I think this song is actually a perfect album-closer and helps to bring thing to a tight and melodic end. Overall, Light in the Dark is a really strong second album from Revolution Saints and one that shows this can be something more than a one-off project. That fact that these songs have been self-penned too shows this band has a future and I will be interested to see where they go from here.

The album was released on 13th October 2017 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Light in the Dark.