Brazen Abbot – ‘Live and Learn’

(Frontiers Records)

If you’ve been around the melodic hard rock block a few times, you’ve probably at least heard the name Brazen Abbot whispered in the same breath as those late 80’s and early 90’s European acts that never quite cracked the mainstream but built a loyal cult following. With Live and Learn, Brazen Abbot’s debut album original released in 1995 they set sail on a sea of big choruses, polished guitars, and that unmistakable sense that they were born about five years too late for absolute glory.

Now, let’s get one thing straight, this isn’t a bad album. Not by a long shot. But it’s also not the second coming of arena rock. It’s the kind of record you throw on during a long drive, nod along to appreciatively, and then struggle to recall specific moments from the next day.

The backbone of Live and Learn is exactly what you’d expect from Brazen Abbot: crunchy, melodic riffing layered with glossy keyboard textures and vocals that aim for the rafters. There’s a workmanlike quality to the songwriting here. You can almost picture the songwriter Nikolo Kotzev, carefully assembling each chorus with a checklist: soaring hook? Check. Harmonized backing vocals? Check. Guitar solo that splits the difference between tasteful and flashy? Double check.

To their credit, the production is clean without being sterile. The guitars have bite, and the rhythm section keeps everything moving at a steady clip. There’s an earnestness to the performances that keeps the album from feeling phoned-in. You get the sense that these guys genuinely love this style of music, even if the rest of the world moved on to grunge, nu-metal, or whatever trend was dominating at the time.

That said, one of the album’s biggest challenges is its consistency. Not consistency in quality, necessarily, but in tone and tempo. Mid-paced rockers dominate the track list, and while they’re competently executed, they start to blur together. After a while, you find yourself craving a real left turn, something raw, something unexpected, something that sounds like the band taking a genuine risk. Instead, Live and Learn plays it safe, almost to a fault.

The ballad moments are predictably heartfelt, with swelling keys and emotive vocal lines designed to tug at the heartstrings. They’re not bad, far from it but they also don’t quite reach the goosebump inducing heights of the genre’s classics. You can hear the ambition, but the melodies don’t always stick the landing. It’s like watching a gymnast nail the routine technically but without that extra spark that makes the crowd leap to its feet.

Lyrically, the album sticks to familiar hard rock territory: perseverance, personal struggle, redemption, and a bit of social commentary thrown in for good measure. The themes are universal enough to resonate, but they’re rarely explored in a way that feels fresh. There are moments where a clever line or a well-turned phrase catches your ear, but more often than not, the lyrics serve the melody rather than elevate it.

Kotzev’s guitar work deserves a nod, though. There’s a clear understanding of dynamics, and the solos are structured rather than indulgent. Instead of endless shredding, you get melodic phrasing that complements the song. In an era where some players mistake speed for substance, that’s refreshing even if it doesn’t set the world on fire.

Vocally, the album is solid across the board. The singer’s Göran Edman, Glenn Hughes and Thomas Vikström all deliver the material with conviction, hitting the high notes without obvious strain and bringing a touch of grit when needed. Still, there’s a slight sameness to their delivery over the course of the album. A bit more variation in tone or approach could have added some much-needed texture.

The album opens with polished, mid-tempo rocker ‘Extraordinary Child’ that sets the tone for what’s to come. Big chorus, tidy guitar work, and solid vocals, but it feels a bit too safe to really grab your attention. It’s the kind of opener that does its job without making you sit up.

‘No Way Out Of Nowhere’ leans into the band’s melodic instincts. The hook is decent, and the keyboard layers add atmosphere, though the song drifts a little in the middle. Pleasant enough, but not exactly memorable.

‘Live and Learn’ brings a bit more urgency. The chorus is one of the stronger moments on the album, even if it sounds like something you’ve heard before. It has energy, but it never quite hits the emotional high it’s aiming for.

‘Russian Roulette’ has a darker mood which helps this one stand out slightly. There’s some tension in the verses, though the payoff isn’t huge. Still, it breaks up the album’s flow in a welcome way.

‘Clean Up Man’ is a straightforward rocker with a bluesy edge. It’s fun in the moment, but it doesn’t linger. The groove works, even if the song feels like filler.

‘When November Reigns’ is the big ballad attempt. It’s heartfelt and well-performed, but the melody doesn’t quite soar. You can hear the ambition, yet it never reaches classic power ballad territory.

‘Miracle’ is another melodic piece with strong vocals and a glossy production. It’s solid, but it blends into the rest of the record rather than standing out.

‘Big Time Blues’ sees a welcome change of pace. The band sounds more relaxed here, and the bluesy vibe gives the album a bit of personality, even if it’s not groundbreaking.

‘Feeling Like A Rolling Stone’ is energetic and catchy, this track has a bit more drive. It’s one of the livelier moments and could have benefited from a rougher production.

‘Children Of Today’ is a socially minded song that feels sincere, if a little predictable. The chorus is decent, but the message is delivered in a very familiar way.

‘Shadows Of The Moon’ the closer is atmospheric and moody, ending the album on a reflective note. It’s a solid finish, though not a dramatic one.

If there’s a recurring theme to this review, it’s that Live and Learn is a study in competence. It’s a record that knows exactly what it wants to be and achieves that goal without stumbling. But it rarely surprises you. It rarely challenges you. It rarely makes you sit up and say, “Whoa, where did that come from?”

And maybe that’s okay. Not every album needs to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes you just want well-crafted melodic hard rock that hits the right notes and doesn’t overstay its welcome. In that sense, Brazen Abbot deliver exactly what genre fans signed up for. There’s comfort in that familiarity.

In the grand scheme of the band’s discography, Live and Learn feels like a solid middle-of-the-pack entry. It reinforces their strengths, big hooks, polished production, and sincere performances, while also highlighting their limitations, particularly in terms of risk-taking and truly memorable songwriting.

If you’re already on board the Brazen Abbot train, you’ll find plenty to enjoy here. If you’re a casual listener, this album might not convert you, but it won’t offend you either. It’s dependable, melodic, and occasionally stirring – just not quite the barnstorming classic it sometimes hints at being.

In other words, you can definitely live with it. Whether you’ll learn anything new from it is another story.

6/10

Essential Track – ‘No Way Out Of Nowhere’

Review by Woody