DARE: Road To Eden (A.O.R.): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Being a Dare die-hard fan requires patience. Indeed, "Road To Eden" is only their eleventh album in 34 years, and even then: if we logically remove the two re-releases of "Calm Before The Storm" in 2012 and "Out Of The Silence" in 2018, as well as the live album "The Power Of Nature" from 2005, we come down to the figure of eight, which is more in line with reality. Yet, the long expectations between each opus of Darren Wharton's combo are rarely disappointed and "Sacred Ground" (2016) had even strongly marked the spirits of the fans of the genre with the return of Vinnie Burns. This new discographic offering is therefore eagerly awaited, especially since the single 'Born In The Storm' is responsible for making us salivate.

With its sharp guitar and a catchy chorus and communicative energy, this track launches the journey through the great Celtic spaces with enthusiasm. All the elements seem to be gathered to continue the come back initiated with "Sacred Ground" towards what had made the success of the monumental "Out Of The Silence" (1988). Because Dare is definitely a band apart in the landscape of AOR and melodic hard rock. The Celtic component of its music and the warm and slightly hoarse voice of Darren distinguish it immediately from the other formations of the genre. Straddling their native Ireland and their adopted Wales, the quintet is proud of its origins and regularly lifts us off the ground to fly over the green rolling spaces of the British Isles. Multiplying the luminous soli ('The Devil Rides Tonight'), Vinnie Burns also does not hesitate to pay homage to another national legend in the person of The Edge (U2) of which he sometimes takes the gimmick which made his reputation during some introductions ('Cradle To The Grave', 'Road To Eden').

Apart from the classic but delicate and moving ballad 'Lovers And Friends', the whole album marries with talent and variety the elements which make the music of Dare unstoppable, namely an authentic and euphoric energy, bewitching melodies, a typically Celtic melancholy, catchy and federating refrains and incandescent soli. Sometimes more biting ('Fire Never Fades'), playing on the contrasts between the softness of the verses and the energy of the choruses ('Grace') or switching from a ballad-like introduction to a ride across the moor ('The Devil Rides Tonight'), each track invades the listener with a beneficial warmth. And if the luminous final solo of 'Thy Kingdom Come' with its masterful rise in intensity and its assumed Celtic pride finishes dazzling us, it also installs in us the melancholy of a journey that ends when we would have liked to see it go on and on.

"Road To Eden" confirms the return of Dare on the summits of a unique and bewitching AOR. Mastering their art to perfection, Darren Wharton's band would have deserved a wider and more powerful production but this doesn't prevent them from offering here an opus where the perfection of the compositions and the depth of the interpretation prevail over any form of reserve. It's high time that this unique and endearing band gets the recognition it deserves, whether it's during its live performances, in the various media or in the album sales charts. - Official website

DARE

ROAD TO EDEN

AUTRE LABEL

A.O.R.