Roland Grapow - Kaleidoscope

1.WALK ON FIRE [4.30]
Opening with a moody keyboard figure before a majestic riff backed by vicious double bass drum work from Mike Terrana takes over. This progresses into a furious verse which sees an aggressive delivery from Mr Vescera. This track is quite reminiscent of Helloween mixed with the melody of 'Eclipse' era Yngwie. Mike Vescera's delivery matches the lyrics perfectly - 'I don't need a helping hand from someone like you, Even if I slip away and tumble'. The chorus is great with a superb flowing quality; there's even a great bass fill from Barry Sparks before the second verse. The solo is a great mix of neo-classical shred and bluesy bits where Roland's Strat sounds huge. A very impressive opener.
2. UNDER THE SAME SUN [5.29]
A colossal drum fill opens the second track, and its on this track that Mike T's drum sound really is superb, sounding very live. The intro sees another signature solo from Roland, before breaking do to a more restraint verse. The lyrics centre around getting on with your own life and not worrying about other people's as we are all living 'Under The Same Sun'. This track is quite commercial sounding, but is still very heavy. There is a great pre-solo section with moody bass work and some Hammond organ sustained chords, before Roland hammers away on a rhythm before taking off for his solo, which is also very melodic. Here Mike Vescera really does sound superb showing his great voice, which is in a bit of a lower register than his 2 albums with Yngwie, and for this it sounds even more powerful. A wonderful track that has got repeated plays since I first heard it.
3. THE HUNGER [6.06]
Thundering powerchords with mighty drum fills herald the start of this metal song. A riff that is quite simple yet devastatingly powerful paves way for Vescera to do his stuff. This track is best described a modern day classic metal, the solo is another stormer and the amount of level captured on tape from Roland's guitar makes it sound like you are stood inches away from his speaker cabs! [how a guitar sound should be]. Another solid track, that by no means is the best here but is still good.
4. A HEARTBEAT AWAY [5.26]
A majestic ballad that is quite Malmsteen-ish - a cross between 'Save Our Love' and 'Forever One'; the chorus is superb with Mike's voice being the icing on the cake as he voice belts out the superbly swirling melodic lines. The verse sees nice use of acoustic guitar with orchestral sounds from Ferdy Doernberg. The tempo speeds up a little for the solo which is superb and super melodic. A charming ballad.
5. HIDDEN ANSWER [5.03]
Similar in feel to Iron Maiden. The track is about someone who takes no notice of people around them and their situation - 'You've been caught in time, in a haze of shattered dreams. So lost and paralysed, you can't shake off this disease'. This track is pretty good but not one of the highlights. The end of the track sees a jungle/tropical feel to it, before a shout off 'That's enough'.
6. TILL THE END [3.50]
A very Helloween-ish track, that could of been an outake from the 'Better Than Raw' album, very intense. Mike V's delivery is quite different to anything else on the album and shows his versatility. The solo sees all kinds of guitar trickery that while excellent isn't really needed. Probably the weakest track on the album.
7. KALEIDOSCOPE [6.46]
On Roland's last album the title track was the epic and best track, well this rings true again and this is a barnstormer of a song. The tempo is relatively slow but with a riff that could rearrange chromosomes. Some sitar work is strategically placed to great effect and all the band excel. This track is similar in vein to the aforementioned 'Four Seasons Of Life' and Helloween tracks like 'The Time Of The Oath' and 'Mr Ego', which coincidentally were written by Roland, so it could be said that this is a classic mould Grapow song. The track covers a lot of ground with various great riffs and progressions, the solo sounds quite sloppy in places but is always full of emotion in every note. The chorus is brilliant 'Count every minute before time is over now, Hear every answer before we go', Mike's delivery just has to be heard to be believed. I can't say enough good things about this track - simple as that.
8. ANGEL FACE [5.47]
Another ballad that while not in the class of 'A Heartbeat Away' is still okay. The start is a little weak but it gets better as it goes along. The solo is the best thing about the track with Roland doing his best Gary Moore impression and it adds something to the track that seems to lack something overall. An average track that is quite forgettable.
9. LISTEN TO THE LYRICS [ 3.56]
A neo-classical instrumental that is excellent, even if it is very Malmsteen, picture 'Amber Dawn' mixed with 'Brothers'. It is still very Grapow which shows that the man in not a Yngwie rip-off. Jens Johansson throws in a solo that is superb using a flute type sound, in fact it makes you kind of miss Jens in the Yng's band [even though Mats Olausson is superb]. Barry Sparks throws is a superb bass solo [something Yngwie would never let him do] that totally complements the track. A fine instrumental.
10. REACHING HIGHER [5.10]
A super intense track that covers a lot of ground, the rhythm section is extremely tight forcing the track along at breakneck speed. The riff is reminiscent of 'The Winner' from '4 Seasons..'. The solo is very Yngwie with a classical motif ala 'I'll See The Sky, Tonight', 'Fire in The Sky', this run is doubled by none other than Jens Johansson again recreating some 'Rising Force' magic. The chorus is a bit repetitive at the end, but this doesn't detract from the overall impressive effect. One of the best songs here.
11. LORD I'M DYING [4.34]
This is where the album changes track completely with an upbeat acoustic track that is quite different to anything I have heard Roland do before; picture this as Roland's version of Yngwie's 'I Can't Wait' - except this track never kicks in to the distorted guitars. A nice solo shows another side to the talents of Mr Grapow. A nice upbeat way to end the album.