Giant's 'Shifting Time' - Album Review

It was inevitable that this review would include something of a rant about Frontiers Records. Those who have read any of my previous pieces about one of their releases, particularly those releases which have the feeling of being a manufactured studio project, will know that I have a love/hate relationship with the Italian label. One the one hand, I own a lot of CDs from Frontiers. Their support of AOR and melodic rock/metal should be applauded, and they give many bands a home. Big bands have released work through Frontiers; including Whitesnake, Uriah Heep, and Def Leppard; and they have always done a good job of promoting new talent. On the other hand, however, they release a lot of very samey and sub-standard albums from an endless stream of anonymous projects - which often seem little more than a way for some of their in-house songwriters to 'get rid' of some songs. This is not always true though, and some of the label's projects are quite good. The quality has dipped over time, however, and this has coincided with the omni-presence of Alessandro Del Vecchio. They guy is a good musician and songwriter, but he is involved with so much coming out of Frontiers that the quality inevitably suffers. His production style ensures that everything he works on sounds the same too, and there are a number of cookie-cutter AOR albums out there that have essentially been 100% masterminded by him. Sometimes, perhaps most egregiously, Frontiers apply this model to established bands - often with questionable line-ups. One such band is Giant, an AOR act that was formed back in 1987. The band, led by vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Dann Huff, released two great albums before splitting up in 1992. Dann was always more of a studio guy, however, and never seemed to want to be a rock star. He has featured on hundreds of albums over the years at this point, covering multiple genres, but he was persuaded to put Giant back together over 20 years ago to release the III album in 2001 - an early Frontiers release. This version of Giant contained three of the band's four original members, however, so is certainly seen as legitimate. Nine years later, Giant released Promise Land - but this time only bassist Mike Brignardello and drummer David Huff remained. Singer Terry Brock and guitarist John Roth filled Dann's spot, but he was still involved with Promise Land - co-writing a few songs and contributing a handful of guitar solos. Brock and Roth wrote songs too, and the input from outside songwriters was kept to a relative minimum. Twelve years later, however, Giant's legitimacy has further waned. Their fifth album, Shifting Time, was released last month - with Kent Hilli (Perfect Plan) taking over from Brock. Hilli is a great singer, but it is clear that Frontiers want him to become their new plaything - and Shifting Time is essentially a collaboration between him and Del Vecchio. None of the other band members are credited with writing any of the material, and Dann is barely involved this time either - with his contributions limited to one guitar solo. While two of Giant's original members feature here, Shifting Time does not really feel like a Giant album. That is not to say that there is nothing of worth here, but it is an album that has more in common with any number of modern Frontiers releases than it does with 1989's excellent Last of the Runaways.

The album opens with its title track, a short atmospheric instrumental that acts as a lengthy intro piece to the first song proper. The album sounds great, and the production is lush, but there is not much about it that shouts 'Giant'. Giant's sound was slightly different from most late 1980s AOR, largely due to Dann's excellent guitar playing, but this version of the band has a much more typical sound. There are still good songs here, though, and Let Our Love Win is a strong opening track. The opening guitar riff is probably the most Giant-esque riff on the album, and the song is a solid bluesy AOR track that has a slow, anthemic chorus and a strong vocal from Hilli. I was impressed with Perfect Plan's second album Time for a Miracle (which I reviewed here) in 2020, and Hilli's performance was a big reason why. He is known to be a big Giant fan too, and Perfect Plan even covered Stay on a covers EP. He is more Jimi Jamison than Dann, however, but he still does a good job throughout the album. If anything, Shifting Time is another showcase piece for his talents - alongside a recent solo album which I have not listened to. Never Die Young is the only song here to feature Dann, and the track is a smouldering semi-ballad - with a big opening riff that soon gives way to a low key verse. The verses are very keyboard-heavy, and allow Hilli to sing in a more soulful manner - while Brignardello's bass rumbles away beneath him. My main issue with the song, however, is that the chorus never really hits home.It sounds more like a pre-chorus than an actual chorus - with the closing couple of lines containing the best hooks. Dann's solo is great however, and his inventiveness and tight playing is a reminder of why those old Giant albums are so great. Don't Say a Word opens with some great aching guitar leads from Roth, and the song is another that takes a somewhat slower path with a relatively low key verse - although David's punchy drumming keeps it ticking. Despite this, the song is much more guitar-heavy than the previous cut. Roth's leads and bouncy melodies continue throughout, and they should remind anyone who had forgotten what a good player he is. His main 'crime' here is not being Dann, but I have always liked Roth a lot - and his contributions to Winger's recent albums have been great. Don't Say a Word also features a chorus that does not quite hit home either, but it certainly has better hooks than the previous song. My Breath Away really establishes the sound that the album is going for, as it is the third song in a row that goes for a more smouldering approach - with some great soulful vocals from Hilli. This song is much better, however, and it is packed full of hooks. The verses, while slow and atmospheric, have some interesting vocal melodies throughout - and Roth makes his presence felt with the occasional bluesy lead. The chorus is much better this time too, and it hits hard from the off. It is telling, however, that it sounds more like a Survivor chorus than a typical Giant chorus. It could have featured on Perfect Plan's last album, but it still sounds good here - and it gets the best out of Hilli.

Highway of Love takes a much tougher route, and allows Roth some time in the spotlight. Like Let Our Love Win, the song is much bluesier and Roth's busy guitar work in the intro has something of a heavy country twang that gives it an edge. This carries on throughout the verses, which are more upbeat and rocking than anything on the album previously - which helps the song to stand out. The chorus is more typical, however, but there is still something of an organic sound present thanks to the use of Hammond organ instead of 1980s-esque synths. The hooks are still akin to the rest of the album though, which ensures that the song still sounds at home here. It's Not Over is the album's first true ballad. While many of the songs have started slowly, and opened up somewhat as they progressed, It's Not Over is very much a slower song throughout. Funnily enough, it is actually quite Giant-sounding - and it reminds me a little of some of the big ballads that the band put out in the 1980s/1990s. I think that it is Roth's guitar playing that gives the song this vibe, as his little arpeggios and melodies are slightly different from the norm - and it sets the song apart from most typical keyboard-led power ballads. It helps that the melodies throughout the track are great too. I have criticised some of the choruses here, but It's Not Over contains a great one - even if it is generally on the slower side. Hilli delivers the melodies perfectly, and he manages to inject a lot of emotion into the piece - which helps it to sound as good as it does. Roth's slow-burning guitar solo is great too, and the song is one of the best cuts on the album for me - largely due to how close it actually sounds to the Giant formula. The Price of Love also opens slowly, with some more aching leads from Roth setting the tone nicely. The verses are much more keyboard-heavy, however, with Del Vecchio's dense synths creating a strong bed for Hilli's emotional vocals. This is a song that gets back to the style of songs like Never Die Young earlier - with slower verses building towards harder-hitting choruses. Like many of those previous songs, however, the chorus never quite hits home - but the overall sound of the song is still enjoyable. In many ways, The Price of Love generally sums up my thoughts about the album as a whole - which is generally solid and enjoyable, but rarely reaching the top tier. Standing Tall hits harder, however, and the song is one of the few out and out rockers here. The mid-paced groove throughout is very Giant in style, and the fact that Roth's guitars generally dominate means that the song stands out somewhat. The main riff is another Dann-esque moment, and it has a bluesy busyness that is packed full of energy. This energy permeates the rest of the song, and it is one of the most immediate songs here as a result. The chorus is not as good as it could be, which is certainly a theme here, but the guitar playing throughout the song is great - and it rocks as a result.

Anna Lee is another big ballad, and is the only song here that was not co-written by Del Vecchio - with another Frontiers contributor Michael Palace instead writing it with Hilli. I think that Hilli wrote his solo album with Palace, so it is possible that this song was left over from those sessions - but it is still a decent addition to the album. These sort of songs really suit Hilli's vocal style, and bring the best out of him in my opinion. He can rock out too, but his soulful approach is great - and he always manages to inject a lot of emotion into the slower songs he sings. This song is less Giant-sounding than the previous ballad, but it is a enjoyable song in its own right - which again features some great Roth lead playing to inject further emotional moments. Don't Wanna Lose You is much more upbeat, and it is another strong rocker. There is still a smoothness to the track, but it certainly has more energy than most of the album - with David's drumming full of punch throughout. Despite this, however, the song sounds more like a Perfect Plan song than a Giant song. The guitar riffing does not have that Dann-esque frenetic style that made Giant stand out, with the song instead sounding more like a typical AOR rocker. This is not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, but it does not really sound like Giant - which is part of my issue with the record overall. I enjoy the song for what it is, however, and it has some decent melodies and energy throughout - which is welcome after the previous ballad. The album comes to a close with I Walk Alone, which is another slower track that builds to a big chorus. This one is much more successful, however, and the song is another very enjoyable AOR cut. It opens with piano, which Hilli sings over, but the best part about the song for me is its chorus. A few choruses here are something of a let down in my opinion, but this one really soars - and again really shines a light on Hilli as a singer. He really goes for it throughout the chorus, and the melodies are very memorable - which helps the song to stick in the brain after only a couple of listens. When I first listened to the album, this was one of the songs that really jumped out at me and it remains a favourite of mine. Again, however, it does not really sound much like Giant. This is somewhat of a shame, but the song itself is very strong so it seems like a moot point. It ends the album on a real high, and it is one of the best cuts here - in my opinion at least. On the whole though, and despite some good songs, Shifting Time is an album that I have mixed feelings about. There are some standout tracks here, but there are also quite a few that do not really hit the spot - and much of the album does not really sound much like Giant at all. There is a cynicism to the album as a result, but the songs that are worth hearing are very good indeed. The main issue for me though is the lack of Dann, and he was always what made Giant stand out. If the band are to record more albums in the future then he needs to be more involved, and Del Vecchio needs to stay away - as it is likely his influence that stops this album from being a great Giant album.

The album was released on 21st January 2021 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Let Our Love Win.