Dare's 'Road to Eden' - Album Review

Despite never really establishing themselves as a big player in rock world, the English five-piece Dare remain a popular act - particularly here in the UK where they have maintained a loyal following. The band were formed in 1985 by singer and keyboard player Darren Wharton, and three years later started to make an impact with the release of their 1988 debut album Out of the Silence. Wharton had previously risen to fame as a member of Thin Lizzy - with whom he recorded and toured with between 1980 and 1983, appearing on three studio albums and the band's farewell live album Life. Thin Lizzy had never had a full-time keyboard player prior to Wharton's arrival, and in my opinion he contributed significantly to the final phase of Thin Lizzy's original run. His playing and songwriting elevated albums like 1981's Renegade and 1983's Thunder and Lightning, so it was not surprising that he sought to strike out on his own following Thin Lizzy's disbandment. He has remained in the wider Thin Lizzy family, and has been a part of many of the various Thin Lizzy reunion/tribute tours that have happened over the years, but I think it is fair to say that Dare has been his focus since 1985 - despite the band taking a hiatus between 1992 and 1998. Dare's original era saw the band very much focusing on the AOR/melodic rock market that was popular at the time. Sadly, though, they were probably a bit late to the party. If Out of the Silence had been released a few years earlier then the band probably would have had a chance at greater success, but sadly it was not to be. 1991's Blood from Stone followed a similar path, but also toughened up the band's sound somewhat. The album did not catch on, though, and Dare split up the following year. Wharton reformed the band in 1998 with a whole new line-up, and took Dare in a different direction. The albums that followed the reformation certainly toned down the hard rock elements of the band's sound, and instead went for a very atmospheric, soft rock sound that introduced quite a few Celtic elements. There is a folkiness to Dare's reformation albums, but they are still very melodic - with the hooks of the early days still present. In recent years, though, Wharton seems to have grown more of an appreciation for harder rock again - especially since both guitarist Vinny Burns and bassist Nigel Clutterbuck (who were both a part of Dare's original era) re-joined the band. 2016's Sacred Ground (which I reviewed here), despite still being a soft rock album, felt less folky and more anthemic; and this trend has continued with the band's newly released album Road to Eden. Released last month, Road to Eden is easily the most hard rocking album that the band have made since Blood from Stone. It is not a significant shift from Sacred Ground, but Wharton clearly wants to rock again - whilst seemingly also wanting to maintain the atmospheric sound that has dominated Dare's catalogue. Road to Eden is still closer to Dare's more recent work than their older albums, but the mix of styles works well - and it is great to see Wharton embracing his rockier side again, as there was a period where he seemed to want to leave it in the past.

The band's re-discovered hard rock credentials are on display right from the off, too, and the album opens with probably its heaviest track: Born in the Storm. Born in the Storm is easily the toughest that the band have sounded since the Blood from Stone, and it explodes after a gentle Burns guitar lead kicks things off. It should be understood, though, that this song is tough and heavy for Dare. It is not a metal song, and there still a real smoothness thanks to a strong keyboard presence and Wharton's husky croon - but there is some real guitar weight here. The verses pack a punch thanks to Burns' muscular power chords - and the drumming of Kev Whitehead feels much more in-your-face than it did on Sacred Ground. For me, Born in the Storm might be the best song that Wharton has ever written. I have not been able to stop listening to it since it was released as a single a few months ago - and it was a highlight of the band's set in Nuneaton back in March. It has everything: great riffs, strong melodies, and a soaring guitar solo - and the song is one that instantly sticks in the brain thanks to a powerful chorus and a number of melodic refrains. Given the quality of Born in the Storm, it would be easy for the rest of the album to feel like a disappointment. It is true that, in my view at least, the rest of the album does not reach the heights of Born in the Storm, but there is still a lot of great material to come. Cradle to the Grave, which follows, dials down the heaviness and returns to the smooth soft rock that characterised Sacred Ground - although the production overall has a little more punch. Burns' guitars have more bite this time, and the drums pack more of a punch. The shift in sound is not significant, but for me it really elevates the material - and Cradle to the Grave really hits home thanks to the layered production and the soaring vocal hooks from Wharton. It is not a song that is packed full of big musical motifs, but the hypnotic guitar lines form a great bed for the vocals. Burns does contribute a great guitar solo, which apes many of the vocal melodies, but it is very short - and for me this is very much a song that shines a light on Wharton as a songwriter, singer, and lyricist. Fire Never Fades injects a bit more rock back into the band's sound. It opens with a melodic guitar line, which is soon replaced by a muscular riff that whips up some energy early on. This riff later forms the basis of the song's pulsing chorus, which again soars with some strong melodies, but the verses are very stripped back - with Wharton's piano and Clutterbuck's bass generally dominating. The mix of gentle and harder rock works well throughout, and it showcases both sides of Dare nicely. What pulls everything together is Wharton's performance. He may never be held up as one of the greatest rock singers, but his voice is very distinct and perfect for Dare's atmospheric, romantic sound. His vocal melodies are always perfectly-crafted too, and he says a lot with what are often relatively simple melodies. There are a few singers out there that truly sound like him, and it is this unique sound that makes a song like Fire Never Fades truly work.

The album's title track slows things down again a little, and opens up with a great Burns guitar lead that showcases Wharton's love of a Celtic melody. Despite rocking a little harder this time around, he has not abandoned the sound that Dare have forged since the late 1990s. I love the Celtic edge to the band's sound, and the folky overtones that it brings - but Dare have never sounded like a folk band. It has always been a sound that the band have made their own, and the album's title track very much channels this. Wharton's voice is pushed to the fore again, and what backs him is largely very atmospheric in sound - with layers of keyboards and percussive drumming forming the basis of the verses, before the choruses are bulked out by more guitar leads and a strong bass presence. Lovers and Friends is much more of a ballad, and based around some great piano playing that is backed by layers of strings. Lots of Dare's songs sound like ballads even if they are not truly such, but Lovers and Friends is the first proper ballad on the album - and it sounds stripped down and smooth even by Dare's usual standards. Burns' presence is largely reduced to some backing melodies this time, as Wharton dominates musically with his piano and keyboard layers - but Clutterbuck does make his presence felt with some melodic bass playing that is far more percussive and driving and Whitehead's simple drum beats. It is the sort of song that has more going on throughout than it initially seems, and there is an atmospheric depth that takes a few listens to fully appreciate. Only the Good Die Young injects more rock into the band's sound, and the song is very upbeat in the context of the album. Burns' power chord riffing drives the song, and there is a bit of a brashness to the verses which is generally absent from Dare's sound. The keyboards take a bit of a backseat this time, although they do ramp up when the chorus kicks in - and the overall sound is suddenly much lusher with layers of synths. There are still keyboards in the verses, as piano melodies back up Burns' guitar nicely, but it all feels somewhat more organic and less atmospheric - which contributes to the more rocking sound that the band were clearly going for this time. Grace is another pseudo-ballad, although in truth it is just more typical of the band's last handful of albums. There is less of the newfound harder rock sound here, and the song could have easily sat on Sacred Ground with its whimsical lyrics and atmospheric depth that pushes Wharton's voice to the fore. There are a number of great vocal melodies on this album, but Grace might be his best overall delivery here. There is just something about his emotional vocal style that really brings the song to life. It is not the most interesting piece musically, but it is elevated significantly by the vocals. It is the sort of song that would not hold up as well if someone else sang it, and it is a real showcase for Wharton's talents.

I Always Will packs a bit more of a punch, but it is still relatively laid back - and the song has something of a swing to it. Whilst Dare never sound like Thin Lizzy, working with Phil Lynott has clearly rubbed off on Wharton. There is something about the song's groove and swing that reminds me of Thin Lizzy - but this is not a twin guitar hard rocker, and overall the sound is very typical of modern Dare. I just think that there will always be a bit of Lynott in Wharton's approach, and occasionally it rears its head. It probably helps that Clutterbuck's bass playing is pretty busy throughout the track, too. He is a very melodic player, and I Always Will is elevated by his basslines - which are not just simple root notes. It is this inventiveness on the bass that likely contributes to the occasional Thin Lizzy shade which I can hear in the song - as well as the occasional soaring guitar lead from Burns. The Devil Rides Tonight is not as heavy as the song title might suggest, but it does pick up the pace again. It opens slowly, though, with some gentle guitar melodies and Wharton's low key vocals - but it does soon pick up, with some punchy drumming and lots of guitar depth. The song rocks, but it is still not exactly heavy. That being said, though, there are lots of great guitar moments from Burns throughout. He solos a lot on the album, but his solos are generally very controlled and sometimes extensions of some of the other melodies found within a song. His solo here is much flashier, though, and there is a real abandon to his playing which fits the pacier nature of the song nicely. It is not quite shredding, but his playing is much faster and certainly more hard rocking than usual - which is welcome and very enjoyable. The album comes to a close with Thy Kingdom Come, a track which is very typical of Dare's modern sound. There is a bit more of a punch, although this is largely due to the overall production of the album which has more brightness than usual, but on the whole the song is a soaring soft rocker with a real emotional depth thanks to layers of keyboards and lots of melodic Burns guitar playing. Burns is almost constantly adding a soaring guitar lead to the track, so it should be no surprise that the song also contains one of his best guitar solos. It is another solo that feels a bit more feral than some of his efforts, but it works well and helps the album's closing cut to sound like a true full stop. Wharton's vocal melodies are as a great as ever, too, and the song is a real melodic feast that takes everything that is great about modern Dare and puts it into a blender. It has an epic side to it too, which makes it a perfect closer - and the album is perfectly rounded out by its presence. Considering that the album opened with what is probably now my favourite Dare song, the overall consistency throughout is remarkable. There are no weak songs here in my opinion, and Road to Eden has a bit more variety than the band's other recent albums thanks to the mix of more rocking songs with tracks that are more typical of their recent sound. There is a lot to love here, and in time it could become my favourite Dare album.

The album was released on 1st April 2022 via Legend Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Born in the Storm.