Ten's 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' - Album Review

Following a four year break after the release of 2018's Illuminati, the British melodic rock act Ten returned last year with the solid and somewhat refreshing Here Be Monsters (which I reviewed here). Ten, and their founder, songwriter, and frontman Gary Hughes, have generally been pretty prolific over the years - and the four year gap between Illuminati and Here Be Monsters definitely felt somewhat out of character for a band who returned from a hiatus in 2011 and released six albums between 2011 and 2018. In truth, this might have been the reason for the gap between releases. Even a songwriter as prolific as Hughes likely hits a wall after a while - and it is also possible to have too much of a good thing. Whilst I enjoyed all of Ten's albums in that 2011 to 2018 run, there was not much to separate them. It is fair to say that Ten's sound is very much established at this point, and Hughes has generally done little to shake up the formula. One album might be slightly heavier, slightly more progressive, or slightly more bombastic than the last - but the band's core sound has essentially been in situ since they released their debut album X in 1996. As such, by the time Illuminati came out Ten fatigue was somewhat setting in. I did not end up reviewing the album (although I did briefly discuss it here) as I felt that there was little to say which I had not already said about any of their other recent albums. Perhaps Hughes felt somewhat similar, and it was probably wise to take a bit of a break before releasing something new - and it meant that when I listened to Here Be Monsters last year I approached the album with a freshness that had not been afforded to Illuminati. Whilst Here Be Monsters did not do anything significantly different from before, with Ten's core sound still very much intact, the break allowed me to really get into Here Be Monsters - and I spent quite a bit of time with the album during the first few months of last year. When Here Be Monsters was announced, though, it was also revealed that it would be the first of a pair of albums which were recorded at the same time. Clearly Hughes had lots of material on hand following the break between releases, so decided to record two albums. The second of the two came out last month, titled Something Wicked This Way Comes, just shy of a year after its predecessor. The two albums are not linked conceptually in any way, but as they both share the core Ten sound they are still linked in a loose sense. As it was recorded at the same time as Here Be Monsters, the same somewhat slimmed down version of the band appears here, with Hughes once again joined by lead guitarists Dann Rosingana and Steve Grocott, bassist Steve McKenna, and keyboardist Darrel Treece-Birch. The drums are again handled by Markus Kullmann (Voodoo Circle; Hartmann; Sinner) with Hughes also handling guitar duties alongside Rosingana and Grocott. Given my previous Ten-related burnout, I approached this latest album with trepidation - but thankfully the material here is strong enough to help the album standout, despite Here Be Monsters still feeling fresh.

The album opens with Looking for the Rose, which kicks off with a spooky quote from Shakespeare's Macbeth before the band kick in and the song becomes an urgent hard rocker with driving guitar riffing and a strident Hughes vocal. Whilst Ten could never be accused of being a metal band, they do occasionally turn up the heat and write a song that is on the faster and heavier side. Looking for the Rose is one such song, and the the band's pomp side is somewhat relegated to the background here to allow the guitars and a hard-hitting Kullmann drum performance to shine. Treece-Birch's keyboards are less prominent, although they still add a melodic ring around everything, with the guitar riffing shifting back and forth between speedy chugging and the occasional accented melody. Despite this focus on a heavier sound, though, the song itself is still filled with Ten's classic hooks. Hughes is unable to not write a hooky vocal melody, and the verses here have a great rhythm thanks to Hughes occasional deviations from the expected melody pattern - whilst the chorus sees the band's pomp side take on a bigger role. The hard-driving song is then complete with a busy, shredded guitar solo - and due to its overall energy it is the perfect album opener, setting the tone nicely for what is to come. Brave New Lie slows the pace somewhat, and goes more for a mid-paced hard rock approach - with an opening bluesy rock riff that would not have sounded out of place on an early Whitesnake album. Treece-Birch's organic keyboards back the guitars nicely, further reinforcing that 1970s/early 1980s blues rock vibe, whilst Hughes takes on a somewhat more sultry approach vocally. I think that Hughes shines the best during the band's more bombastic moments, but he can still pull off a more traditional hard rock performance - and the verses here are full of character thanks to his delivery. The chorus does not hit as hard as perhaps it could, as it does not do enough for me to elevate itself from the sound of the verses, but there are still enough hooks to be found to keep the song moving - whilst another strong guitar solo injects some further bluesy vibes. The Tidal Wave opens more slowly with Treece-Birch's rolling piano melodies, which build up slowly, setting the tone nicely, before the rest of the band join in. The song is certainly not as guitar-focused as the previous songs here, and the keyboards generally play a much more prominent role throughout. Magnum have always been a big influence on Ten's sound, and there is quite a lot of Magnum's classic approach to be found here. The guitars generally support the driving keyboards and this allows Hughes' voice to really shine. The vocal hooks throughout the track keep things interesting, and the bouncy chorus builds on many of the keyboard motifs to create something memorable and hooky. Ten songs have a tendency to be on the longer side, too, and The Tidal Wave is just over four minutes long - so has a welcome brevity that allows its hooks to shine.

Following a compilation of clips of politicians talking about wars breaking out, Parabellum returns to the heavier sounds of the album's opening couple of numbers. The song is one that showcases the band's occasional want to flirt with a more progressive sound and arrangement, and the opening moments feature a mix of soaring synth melodies, heavy guitar rhythms, and the occasional scream of slide guitar. Whilst not the busiest of arrangements, there is real bombast to be found throughout the song - and it is one of the songs here that best showcases Ten at their 'biggest'. Neither the guitars nor the keyboards truly dominate, as both instruments play a big role in making the song sound the way that it does, whilst Hughes' voices has that perfect balance between grit and melody which  makes his approach so perfect for Ten's dramatic sound. Despite the bombast, though, there is still a lushness to the production. Subtle vocal harmonies add depth throughout, whilst the lengthy guitar solo, which relies heavily on slide licks, feels classy - adding to the bombast. The title track follows, and it builds on the bombast from the previous song - despite slowly building towards it. The song is the longest cut here, at just over seven minutes, and is built around what is likely the album's most infectious chorus. The chorus has a certain jaunty feel throughout that makes it easy to latch onto - but before it is reached for the first time Hughes sings alone against a piano backing for a while, before the band gradually build the sound and explode into the chorus. Perhaps surprisingly, though, the guitars are not as big here as might be expected. The piano generally leads everything, even when the song gets rockier, and there is a strong bass presence from McKenna throughout. The guitars do make their presence felt with a lengthy solo section, though, which apes some of the chorus melodies to create a hooky musical journey. Following the lengthier title track, The Fire and the Rain returns to more of a concise arrangement - and places its hooks at the fore of everything. There are no big, stand-out riffs here, but a hooky guitar lead does form a bridge between sections of the song, with the focus generally being on the overall lushness of the sound and Hughes' vocals. Whilst Hughes is often the focus throughout the Ten catalogue, he does know when to step back to allow others to shine. This song is very vocally-driven, though, and, as such, his hooks drive everything. There are more interesting songs here, but for The Fire and the Rain's focus on simple hooks certainly allows it to stand out - and it is a good representation of Ten's simpler side after a couple of lengthier pieces. New Found Hope is more of a ballad, and it opens slowly with Treece-Birch's piano laying down a sombre melody - which Hughes starts to sing over. Whilst the song does grow from this point, it never truly strays from this opening mood. The piano is ever-present in the mix, and even later, more involved, verses still feature it in a big way - whilst the chorus is somewhat bigger sounding with added acoustic guitar for depth and a swinging drum beat. A gorgeous guitar solo later adds a lot to the piece, too, and elevates the album's only real ballad to new heights.

The Only Way Out opens with some strange, effects-heavy vocals, before a 1980s-esque keyboard melody kicks in - which gradually expands until the rest of the band crash in with staccato guitar stabs. This somewhat atypical rhythm then forms the basis of the verses, which have a strange stop-start vibe - with guitar stabs punctuating Hughes' upfront vocal lines. Despite sounding somewhat jarring at first, the arrangement falls into place over repeated listens - and the way that the verses subtly change throughout works well, and gives the feeling of the song gathering steam as it moves forward. The chorus is more typical in sound, though, and sees the return of the keyboard melody from the song's intro. This allows the chorus to have a big AOR-esque sound - and it definitely feels like a bit of a throwback to the heyday of 1980s melodic rock. This is no bad thing, though, as the chorus is extremely hooky as a result. There is another strong guitar solo here, too, which includes a few more high-octane screaming leads alongside some more melodic runs. When Darkness Comes is similar, but there is more urgency throughout. The staccato riffing of the previous song has been replaced by something more hard-driving, but it does not feel as heavy as the album's opening couple of numbers. There is a strong keyboard presence throughout, so the track instead has more of a pomp rock edge. Again there are shades of Magnum to be heard here, with Treece-Birch's piano essentially driving everything - and another great Hughes vocal bringing everything together. As is typical of much of the rest of the album, the chorus is another great moment. There are so many big chorus hooks on this album, and When Darkness Comes contains another - with the barrelling piano giving it a bit of an edge. This allows Hughes' voice to really soar, and the track is another feast of melody as a result. The album then comes to a close with The Greatest Show on Earth, which is not significantly dissimilar from the last couple of tracks - but its more deliberate pacing perhaps allows the band's pomp side to shine a little brighter. Treece-Birch's piano is once again the driving force here, although the guitars make themselves heard with the occasional screaming lead during the chorus - as well as a busy solo that comes later in the song, which features occasional moments of old-school harmonising. The song might not be as bombastic as some of the previous ones here, but the pomp vibes created by the strident piano melodies allow the song to stand out - and the slower pace gives it somewhat more gravitas, which is why I assume it was used to close out the album. There is a subtle darkness to the piece, too, with Hughes' voice being somewhat more sombre than usual, but this just enhances the overall mood - and the album comes to a strong close in my opinion with another guitar solo and brief piano coda. Overall, then, Something Wicked This Way Comes is another strong album from Ten in my opinion, and a good companion piece for Here Be Monsters following the previous break between releases. It does not add anything new to the Ten canon, but the melodies throughout are strong, and those who love Hughes' approach to epic, yet accessible, songwriting will find a lot to love here.

The album was released on 20th January 2023 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for The Tidal Wave.