Ten's 'Here Be Monsters' - Album Review

There was a period of time a few years ago when it seemed like the British melodic/pomp rock act Ten were realising a new album every year. The band have often been fairly prolific, but between 2014 and 2018 they released four albums in quick succession - which, for me, was actually a bit much. Whilst it is always good when bands are prolific, I felt that releasing four similar albums so close together started to affect my enjoyment of the material - so much so that I felt that I could not really review 2018's Illuminati as I just did not really have anything to say about it (I did briefly talk about it here, however). There was nothing wrong with Illuminati per se, but there was nothing to differentiate it from the band's last few albums. In truth, it could be argued that Ten have essentially sounded the same since they released X in 1996. Despite a number of line-up changes over the years, the band have stuck closely to frontman Gary Hughes' vision - and there is a real uniformity to the band's discography as a result. This is perhaps both a positive and a negative when it comes to Ten. On the one hand, if you like what the band do then a new album is always going to impress on some level. You always know what you are going to get with Ten, and their albums are always well-crafted and lush-sounding - with layers of keyboards and the smooth voice of Hughes dominating. On the other hand, however, the steadfast formula can mean that most Ten albums are essentially interchangeable - and multiple releases coming out in quick succession can lead to fatigue. It is probably wise, then, that after Illuminati's release Ten decided to take a break from writing and recording. Four albums in five years probably found the band needing a reset, but last month they broke this hiatus to release their fifteenth studio album Here Be Monsters. From what I understand, Here Be Monsters is the first of two new Ten albums that have been recorded. It would appear that Hughes managed to amass a lot of songs over the past few years, and enough were recorded by the band to create two albums. These two albums are not linked in any way conceptually - but it is clear that the band's sixteenth album is not too far away. Here Be Monsters features five of the seven musicians that were credited on Illuminati, with Hughes once again joined by lead guitarists Dann Rosingana and Steve Grocott, bassist Steve McKenna, and keyboardist Darrel Treece-Birch. Long-term rhythm guitarist John Halliwell is not featured this time, and nor is drummer Max Yates - with Markus Kullmann (Voodoo Circle; Hartmann; Sinner) providing the drums on a session basis. I am not sure if Halliwell and Yates are no longer a part of Ten, or whether they were unavailable for these recording sessions. Both are still listed on the band's website, however, so I am assuming it is the latter. Regardless, the slightly slimmed down line-up has had no impact on the band's sound; which is as consistent as ever; and in truth I have often wondered how much all of the band's credited guitarists actually contribute in the studio - especially considering that Hughes is often credited as a guitarist too.

As with most of Ten's albums, Here Be Monsters has a handful of really strong tracks and a number of songs that leave less of an impression - while still being solid. For me, two of the album's best compositions open the album. Fearless kicks things off, with Treece-Birch's gentle piano melodies setting the tone - before a muscular guitar riff takes over, which actually conjures up a surprising amount of groove. This is slightly different from the norm for Ten, but the relatively deep and smooth voice of Hughes immediately grounds the song. Despite this, the verses are snappier than usual. Kullmann's drums actually provide the main musical backing throughout them, while the guitars provide occasional rhythmic stabs and string scratches. It is not until the pre-chorus that the band's typical big sound is fully established - and the chorus is then very much business as usual, with plenty of big keyboard layers and subtle backing vocals to boost Hughes' voice. A screaming guitar solo follows the second chorus, with the phrases being packed full of shredded lines that fit with the song's overall groovy nature. This solo is quite lengthy, but it allows either Rosingana or Grocott (or possibly both) to showcase their talents. It fits with the vibe of the song nicely, too, and it helps Fearless to be one of the stand out cuts here. Chapter and Psalm opens in a similar manner to Fearless, with Treece-Birch's piano, but the song is very much more typical of Ten's sound from the off. Hughes soon sings over the piano opening, providing an early glimpse of the song's chorus, but it is when a warm guitar pattern takes over that the song begins proper. The riffing is much more typical this time however, with a melodic lead dominating that creates something of a hypnotic melody. The band's usual pomp sound is very much present here. The verses are filled with rolling piano and a strong drum beat; while a slightly heavier pre-chorus introduces some stabbing guitar riffing to offset the vocals. The chorus hinted at earlier then crashes in in a big way, and it is probably the one of the album's most memorable. Hughes' vocal melodies are very hooky, and the backing vocals elevate them further. I remember making the point in one of my previous Ten reviews that the band rarely significantly boost their choruses with big backing vocals - so I am glad to see that rectified here to an extent. I would still prefer the backing vocals to have a bigger presence, especially as Hughes' voice does not have a significant range, but the chorus of Chapter and Psalm certainly benefits from their inclusion. Hurricane was the first taste of the album that the public were treated to when its lyric video was released a couple of months ago. Most of Ten's songs are relatively lengthy, but Hurricane is on the shorter side - and certainly goes for a bit more of an AOR sound. It is a little slower, too, with the verses generally seeing Hughes singing alone against a moody piano backing, before the chorus explodes with all of the band's typical pomp energy. The vocal hooks throughout the chorus are very memorable, too, and it is another of the album's best in my opinion. The melodies are a little more interesting and diverse than is typical for Ten, and this helps it to stand out. A couple of great lead guitar breaks help to the elevate the song further, and the more compact arrangement ensures that none of the ideas here are ever overused.

Strangers on a Distant Shore opens with Hughes' vocals and some rumbling organ. The use of organ instead of the piano which has largely been featured so far should give a clue as to the relative heaviness of the piece. This song is certainly chunkier than anything that has featured on the album up to this point, with the heavier guitar riffing adding plenty of weight - while Kullmann's drums certainly have more punch to them this time. This relative heaviness, combined with the use of organ throughout, gives the song a brooding nature. Whilst the chorus is more upbeat and very much in the classic Ten mould, the rest of the song is slower and full of relative menace. Ten have not morphed into a metal band here, but it contains some of the heaviest riffing that the band have used in quite a while. Some of the guitar leads use this to adopt a screaming tone, too, and the song is memorable for its mix of heaviness with a soaring, melodic chorus. The Dream That Fell to Earth retains some of the heaviness of the previous song, but this time it is balanced with more typical synth sounds instead of the dryer organ used before. There is a 1980s metal vibe to some of the guitar riffing used here, but the arrangement of the song ensures that it never really dominates. The song's verses are actually quite slow, with the riffing mixed into the background to allow the synths and atypical drumming style to dominate. This gives the verses a bit of a strange vibe, but it works well in the context of the song. The chorus is much more typical, however, but it is a shame that the riffing here is also generally mixed into the background. The guitarists here seem to be adopting a John Sykes-esque style, but sadly the keyboards dominate and push these riffs into the background. The song could have hit harder with a stronger guitar presence in my opinion. The Miracle of Life returns more to the sound of the opening handful of songs, with a rolling piano intro and a hooky guitar lead that soon takes over. Ten have often been compared to bands like Magnum, and The Miracle of Life is quite Magnum-esque. Some of the keyboard sounds here have that pseudo-symphonic edge that Magnum often use, and the guitar tones are quite muscular - which recall modern Magnum in particular. The song's verses also allow McKenna's bass to shine. His playing is rarely prominent on this album, but the bassline throughout the verses does stand out - with the guitars instead adding occasional colour. The Magnum vibes also return during the choruses, which are hooky and somewhat more upbeat. Immaculate Friends is another song that has more of an overt AOR vibe. Much of Ten's sound is rooted in the 1980s, but Immaculate Friends is probably the most 1980s-sounding piece here. The busy synths throughout are very AOR-esque, and the song is much more upbeat than is typical for Ten. There is less of the band's lengthier build-ups and slightly progressive attitude here, with the melodies instead being king. The chorus is another very memorable one, and the keyboards throughout perfectly create the desired vibe.

Anything You Want is similar, but returns more to the sound of the album's opening numbers. The synths of the previous number are replaced here with Treece-Birch's piano - and his busy playing dominates the song throughout. His upbeat playing helps the song to rock in the way that it does, but there is still a smoothness to the track that comes from Hughes' voice. This is probably also the song on the album that makes the best use of backing vocals. The choruses actually use them in a big way this time, and there is a really theatrical vibe whipped up during them as a result. In my opinion, Ten should do things like this more often. The band have such a big sound, and it has always confused me why they have never used layers of backing vocals in a Def Leppard-esque way to boost their sound further. This song is probably the closest that the band have come to doing so of late, and it works well throughout the upbeat and relatively jaunty number. Follow Me Into the Fire ups the heaviness again slightly, with the organ of Strangers on a Distant Shore making a return. The thing that really stands out about this song for me, though, is the dominance of the guitars throughout. Despite some good riffs throughout the album, the guitars are generally lower in the mix than the keyboards - especially while Hughes is singing. That is not the case here, however, and the verses are very muscular thanks to the guitar presence. The organ offsets the guitars nicely, too, and the song has something of an old-school classic rock vibe as a result - even if the chorus is very typical Ten in sound with prominent synths and Hughes' sultry vocals. The overall guitar presence throughout the song also means that the guitar solos are much more hectic than usual. The band's guitarist usually adopt a very melodic playing style, but the solos here are fast-paced and full of shredded licks. This works well within the context of the song, however, and the busy solos help the song to stand out. The album comes to a close with its only true ballad The Longest Time. Treece-Birch's piano dominates throughout, and the song shines thanks to Hughes' vocal melodies. Ten have done a number of ballads over the years, but this is one of the most memorable ones that they have written for a while for me. Hughes' voice is well-suited to ballads, with his smooth tones really bringing the choruses to life - while a bluesy guitar solo adds some additional emotional depth to the piece. This song is all about Hughes and Treece-Birch, however, and the two have formed a great relationship over the last few years - with this song being a good example of what they can create together. The song acts as a great closing moment, too, and it is another of the album's more memorable songs thanks to its melodic chorus and great overall atmosphere. I think that it is fair to say, however, that the album in general has a strong atmosphere. After a few years without a Ten album, I have been enjoying Here Be Monsters quite a bit over the past few weeks - despite it largely 'just' being another Ten album. I am somewhat concerned that there is another album due from the band very soon, however. I hope that the Ten fatigue will not set in again shortly - but at the moment it has been great to enter into the Ten world again, and Here Be Monsters has plenty to enjoy for fans of the band.

The album was released on 18th February 2022 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional lyric video for Hurricane.