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ROBIN MCAULEY
(UNITED KINGDOM)
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SOULBOUND
(2025)
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LABEL:
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GENRE:
MELODIC HARD ROCK
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TAGS:
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"“Soulbound” won't be remembered, McAuley's voice and lack of melodic inspiration proving prohibitive."
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2/5
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After a 22-year absence from the solo scene, Robin McAuley brings us his third opus in five years this spring. At the age of 72, the singer of the late Grand Prix, the neo-group Black Swan and former bandmate of Michael Schenker, has apparently decided to respond assiduously to the sirens of Frontiers. Indeed, they have convinced him to consider more than just a one-off return to business. So here we have “Soulbound”, which nostalgic 1980s fans will be hoping is better than its overly bland predecessor, which left us worried that the frontman was starting to go round in circles.
The first observation to be made is that Alessandro Del Vecchio is no longer at the helm, and that this will be the case for all the Italian label's releases from now on, since the faithful warrior has decided to leave the nest. Finding a bassist and keyboardist is one thing, but finding a new composer is quite another. Aldo Lonobile (Secret Sphere and Sunstorm) has been called in to concoct new tracks and play the four-string, while guitarist Andrea Seveso has been joined by a second neck virtuoso. Will this new situation be synonymous with saving creative impulses?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. Of the eleven tracks on offer here, only four stand out. 'Crazy', 'Wonders Of The World', 'Bloody Bruised And Beautiful' and the eponymous track provide the bare minimum to hold their own in a special melodic hard rock chart. As for the rest, the “flat line” of the melodies can't even be compensated for by the good musicianship, so much so that McAuley's voice sometimes verges on the creak of a rusty door. As a result, the changes in rhythm and the riffs, which are often overdriven, as well as the applied solos, fail to change the situation. To write a good hard melodic album, you first need to get the melodic hooks right, and that's where the problem lies.
As a result, “Soulbound” will never be remembered. This old warrior Robin McAuley will have to find a more inspired composer in the future if he wants to offer attractive works in this prolific musical sphere. It seems, however, that his wobbly voice could become a pitfall in the long run. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. 'Til I Die
 02. Soulbound
03. The Best Of Me
04. Crazy
05. Let It Go
06. Wonders Of The World
07. One Good Reason
08. Bloody Bruised And Beautiful
09. Paradise
10. Born To Die
11. There Was A Man
LINEUP:
Aldo Lonobile : Guitares / Basse
Alessandro Mammola: Guitares
Alfonso Mocerino: Batterie
Andrea Seveso: Guitares
Antonio Agate : Claviers
Robin Mcauley: Chant
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(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
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Top of the page
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(1) COMMENT(S)
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READERS
2/5 (1 view(s))
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STAFF:
2/5 (1 view(s))
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OTHER REVIEWS
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OTHER(S) REVIEWS ABOUT ROBIN MCAULEY
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