HOUSE OF LORDS: Saints And Sinners (MELODIC HARD ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Two years after a "New World - New Eyes" that reassured us about the shape of House Of Lords, here is the thirteenth album of the Americans. Born more than thirty years ago on the ashes of Giuffria, this combo baptized by Gene Simmons (Kiss) has been resisting since its reformation at the beginning of the century. Frontman James Christian, the only original member, has taken on the bassist's suit and has entrusted the keyboards to Mark Mangold, another dinosaur from the 80's AOR scene (Touch and Drive She Said). Involved in the writing of this new production, this specialist of the old synthesizer sounds marks this production of his print.

Composed in the spirit of the first opus of the group, when Gregg Giuffria was leading the ball, this album gives off perfumes of another time. But House Of Lords is above all a voice, and the one of the man in black has not lost any of his superbness. Always associated with his faithful and omnipresent guitarist Jimi Bell, it seems that the passing years have no hold on his vocal capacities.

The first part of the work offers an orgy of tasty melodies. From the eponymous opening with a memorable chorus to 'House Of The Lord' which reminds Asia on its intro before making us bend our backs under the blows of the six-string, then melting on a grandiloquent melody, everything is calibrated like a Swiss clockwork. From 'Take It All' to 'Mistress Of The Dark' which, guided by the hammering of the drums and the gimmicks of the keyboards of another age, deploys its seven minutes of melodic-progressive hard rock in the Asia style, everything seems obvious. It's a pity that the middle ballad, harmonious but less striking than what the Americans are capable of, breaks the atmosphere. And especially to open a second part characterized by sonorities sometimes too rough, harmonies often more basic and less inspired melodies.

That's what makes this new offering of House of Lords a surprising album. At the time when only vinyl records populated the bins of the record shops, we could have evoked a sparkling A side and a disappointing B side. After having blown hot and cold from one album to the other, the Americans still struggle to exist in the merciless universe of melodic hard rock. Too bad... - Official website

HOUSE OF LORDS

SAINTS AND SINNERS

FRONTIERS RECORDS

MELODIC HARD ROCK