Alcatrazz, despite a list of its alumni including a number of well-known and well-respected musicians, never really broke into the 1980s hard rock and metal scenes in a big way. While the band can certainly be credited with launching the careers of both Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai, both of whom are now considered top-tier guitar heroes, Alcatrazz always flew somewhat under the radar. The band was formed by frontman Graham Bonnet in 1983, who was thrust into the hard rock world in 1979 when he replaced Ronnie James Dio in Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. The sole Rainbow album he appeared on, 1979's Down to Earth, showed that the former pop singer had the pipes to cut it in the rock arena - and Bonnet has never looked back. Joining Rainbow certainly changed Bonnet's career trajectory, but his association with Blackmore lasted only a year and by 1980 he was out of Rainbow and trying it again on his own. 1982 saw a brief flirtation with another guitar hero in the form of Michael Schenker when he appeared on the Michael Schenker Group's third album Assault Attack, but his association with MSG quickly came to a grinding halt when he drunkenly exposed himself on stage at a concert in Sheffield at the beginning of the Assault Attack tour. Clearing having had enough of playing second fiddle to established guitar heroes, Bonnet formed Alcatrazz - his own hard rock band that he could lead and be in charge of. I think it is fair to say however that, despite releasing three strong albums between 1983 and 1986, Alcatrazz probably never really worked out in the way that Bonnet planned. The band's debut album, 1983's No Parole from Rock 'n' Roll, featured a young Malmsteen who left in 1984 to form his successful solo vehicle Rising Force; and 1985's Disturbing the Peace featured a young Vai replacing the Swedish shredder who again left the following year to join up with David Lee Roth. Bonnet could not keep hold of these rising stars, and sadly the band broke up in 1987 - a year after releasing their third album Dangerous Games featuring the relatively unknown Danny Johnson. Bonnet mostly concentrated on his solo career following Alcatrazz's demise, but did resurrect the name again between 2006 and 2014 however when he toured under the name with a whole new group of musicians. This 'reunion' produced no new material however, but a one-off show that featured three of the band's five original members in 2017 prompted Bonnet to once again resurrect the Alcatrazz name last year. Joining Bonnet in the modern Alcatrazz are founding members keyboardist Jimmy Waldo (who had been playing in Bonnet's solo band for a few years prior to the reunion) and bassist Gary Shea; along with new recruits guitarist Joe Stump (The Reign of Terror; HolyHell; Raven Lord; Tower of Babel) and drummer Mark Benquecha - the latter of whom had also been playing in Bonnet's solo band. The result of this reunion is the fourth Alcatrazz album, Born Innocent, which was released last month. Looking at the album's booklet however, I do wonder whether the album started life as a Bonnet solo album and was re-branded as an Alcatrazz album when Shea came on board part way through its making. This is not much of a band effort at all, with lots of guest musicians credited throughout. Much of the bass playing on the album was actually done by Don Van Stavern (Riot V), and there are lots of guest guitarists here too. Chris Impellitteri, the late session king Bob Kulick, and Dario Mollo all feature extensively throughout the album, both in performance and songwriting capacities, which take away from the band feel of the album - but do help to contribute to what is still a varied and enjoyable old-school hard rock album.
Anyone who is familiar with any of the previous Alcatrazz albums, along with Bonnet's work with both Rainbow and MSG, will instantly feel at home when Born Innocent kicks off with its hard rocking title track. The album is, on the whole, guitar and keyboard-based hard rock in the old-school Deep Purple/Uriah Heep vein and the title track is a perfect example of that style. Written and featuring Impellitteri; who Bonnet has worked with previously, most recently on Impellitteri's 2002 release System X; the song opens up in a flurry of notes - with Benquecha's furious double bass drumming and Impellitteri's shredded neo-classical licks. There are certainly shades of Malmsteen in Impellitteri's performance here, but overall the song sticks to a tried and tested formula. The verses hit hard, with Benquecha's pacey drumming setting the tone and Waldo's dense Hammond organ providing a halo around the whole piece. Bonnet, who has received his fair share of criticism in recent years, sounds strong throughout most of the album. There are cracks to be found, but on the whole he sounds powerful and instantly-recognisable. His soaring performance during the chorus recalls some of his MSG work of the past, and the song is a memorable opening number because of his enthusiasm. Polar Bear is similar, but it takes on more of a mid-paced crunch to recall some of the harder-hitting tracks found on Down to Earth. There are no guest guitarists here, which means that Stump actually gets to shine with some great Blackmore-esque guitar leads - as well as displaying his muscular side with a riff that locks in nicely with Van Stavern's bass and Waldo's Hammond. It is a powerful track that once again shows that Bonnet has a lot to offer vocally, while providing some great old-school sounding hard rock. Finn McCool, featuring Japanese guitarist Nozomu Wakai (Destina) who also co-wrote the track, picks up the pace and leaves the old-school hard rock sound behind somewhat. Wakai, who is more of a metal guitarist, has plenty of Firewind's Gus G. about his playing style throughout, and the song has a gritty power metal vibe as a result. Waldo's keyboards are less prominent here, with Wakai's fast-paced riffing dominating - while Benquecha crashes away behind his drum kit. One thing that is clear from the album's opening three numbers is that Bonnet still has the knack for crafting a catchy chorus; but the effort in Finn McCool might be the best of the album's early offerings. It is a powerful, melodic moment that perfectly fits with the song's more furious nature - providing a contrast to Wakai's power metal-esque riffing. We Still Remember opens slowly, but soon morphs into another mid-paced crunchy hard rocker; with guitars from D Kendall Jones. Despite the crunch throughout, this is easily the least-heavy of the song featured so far. The guitar work is quite tough, but it is somewhat mixed into the background which really allows Waldo to shine. His synths are quite prominent throughout, and there are a few lead breaks that feature him rather than a traditional guitar line. That being said however, Jones still gets to show off with another neo-classic style guitar solo part way through the piece, but in many ways this is Waldo's song with the amount of keyboard work on display.
London 1666 finally turns the spotlight back on Stump, who wrote the song with Bonnet's manager Giles Lavery. While it is nice to hear lots of different guitarists throughout the album, Stump is a talented-enough player in his own right. It is a shame that he does not truly get to shine on his first Alcatrazz album - but on the songs that he does play on he showcases his talents well. London 1666 recalls MSG songs like Desert Song and Samuari - with a heavy, brooding atmosphere and a strong Bonnet vocal. In fact, this might be the song here that features Bonnet's best performance. There is a bit more grit to his delivery here, which really suits Stump's staccato riffing and the big Hammond backing. This is ironic considering London 1666 is the only song on the album that Bonnet did not co-write. Dirty Like the City also features Stump, but the song itself was written by Vai. Vai did not contribute to the recording of the album, but responded to Bonnet reaching out with this trashy, 1980s throwback piece that easily could have sat on Disturbing the Peace. There is a bit of a hair metal feel to the song at times, but there is still plenty of weight to it too - thanks to Stump's tougher take on the riffing and the retro organ sounds. Disturbing the Peace is easily the flashiest Alcatrazz album, and Dirty Like the City certainly taps into that vibe. Vai clearly turned his internal clock back when writing the track, and as a result it feels like a long-lost Alcatrazz classic. I Am The King is a Kulick co-write, who also laid down the song's rhythm guitars, and it instantly gets back to the weight that characterises most of the songs here. The previous song was a rare deviation into flashier territory, but Kulick reinforces the modern Alcatrazz heaviness here with some metal-esque riffing. It is not one of my favourite cuts here, but on repeated listens it certainly opens up. The slow, epic chorus hits home after a few goes, and Stump's neo-classical solo is not as furious as some of the efforts here to allow each note to shine. Something That I Am Missing is similar, and is the first song here to feature Mollo - who used to be one of Frontiers Records regular songwriters and has worked with former Black Sabbath frontman Tony Martin on and off over the years. Unsurprisingly, this track is somewhat heavier than many of the other efforts here. The riffing throughout is slower and heavier, with Waldo filling in many of the gaps with some dense keyboard work. Heavier does not necessarily better however and, while the riffing and keyboard work is strong throughout, Bonnet does sound a bit strained here. While some of the songs here feature a gritty vocal from him, this song showcases his limitations somewhat. This is song is maybe just a little too heavy for his modern style, and it might have been better if it was left off the album. Paper Flags gets back to the album's core sound however and picks up the pace. Waldo co-wrote the song, so his keyboards are very prominent throughout, but Stump also shines with some simple riffing that perfectly allows the busy keyboard lines to stand out. The rhythms are tight and crunchy throughout, which allows Bonnet to sound back to his best after wobbling throughout the previous song. There is a fun guitar solo section too that is kicked off by Stump, but he is then joined by Jeff Waters (Annihilator) who adds a very different vibe. Stump's neo-classical licks clash with Waters' more typical shredding for a real meeting of the minds that works well within the overall context of the song.
The Wound is Open is another Kulick co-write, but Stump handles all of the guitars this time around. As a result, the song is quite similar to I Am The King, with a similar stomping rhythm being featured throughout. Benquecha lays down a strong groove throughout the song, while Shea's bass playing is tight and locked in. It is one of those songs that really relies on its groove throughout, as the riffing is not as interesting as in many of the other songs here. That being said, there is a strong old-school Deep Purple vibe throughout the song that works really well. Waldo's Hammond is constantly rumbling away in the background, while Bonnet wails over the top of everything like a man possessed. The cracks are not at all on show here, and he sounds as powerful as ever - with the somewhat slower pace of the song allowing him to shine. Body Beautiful is similar, but written by Stump. Clearly wanting to put his stamp on an album with so many other guitar players, the song features quite a long guitar intro before the rest of the band crash in to kick it off proper. It is also one of the few songs here to feature all five of the current Alcatrazz members and no-one else. There are not many songs on the album that can say this, and the fact that it was co-written by Stump shows what this new Alcatrazz can do without any outside input. For me, it really shows that the band do not need the help. While I am sure that Bonnet enjoyed collaborating with lots of songwriters and guitarists, if the new Alcatrazz are going to establish themselves properly they need to strike out on their own. Body Beautiful shows that they can do this, and that Stump is a perfect foil for the modern Bonnet. He is a very tasteful player, and Waldo's big keyboard presence helps to give the song a somewhat heavier sound. If Alcatrazz ever do a fifth album, I want to see more of this - and less outside help. Warth Lane is another Mollo co-write. Sadly however, it is easily the least successful song here as it contains the worst Bonnet vocal of the album. Cracks were visible during Mollo's last outing, but Bonnet's performance is poor here. The only thing I can compare it too is when someone talks when their false teeth are not in properly - but that is exactly how Bonnet sounds here. Also, some of the notes he is trying to hit here are quite high, and I think that these notes are outside of his comfortable range now. I am not sure what it is about Mollo, but he has managed to bring two pretty poor vocal performances out of Bonnet on this album - when no other guitarist has managed to do so. I think it is fair to say that the Bonnet/Mollo combination is not a good one, and Bonnet should definitely stick to Stump going forward. The album comes to a close with the slow-paced and sparse For Tony - a tribute to Bonnet's late brother. It is more of a lyrical piece with a brass and keyboard backing, and it is easily the furthest thing from hard rock on the album. It works well as closing number however, as it is a very heartfelt piece that shows Bonnet in a different light vocally. Considering how bad he sounds during Warth Lane, he sounds very powerful here - and his voice really brings out the emotion in the lyrics perfectly. The song acts a coda to what is otherwise a very hard rocking album, and it is a very effective way to finish things off. Overall, despite a couple of weaker numbers, Born Innocent is a strong an enjoyable old-school hard rock album with plenty of convincing performances throughout. While calling it a true Alcatrazz album might be something of a stretch due to the sheer number of guests featured, it showcases that Bonnet can still deliver on the hard rock front and that his modern Alcatrazz line-up is a very capable unit.
The album was released on 31st July 2020 via Silver Lining Music. Below is the band's promotional video for London 1666.
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