ILSY – ‘ILSY’
(Lions Pride Music)
This is perfectly respectable Melodic Hard Rock, competently played and produced, but unfortunately it never quite manages to ignite the spark that would elevate it above the crowded middle ground of the genre.
One of the most obvious comparisons throughout ILSY is to cult melodic rock heroes Talisman. The influence is particularly noticeable in the combination of melodic songwriting, bluesy swagger and muscular guitar work. There is an unmistakable late Eighties / early Nineties flavour running through the album, and fans of that classic melodic rock sound will immediately find plenty here that feels familiar.
That familiarity is both the album's greatest strength and its biggest weakness.
Vocalist Wolfgang Ilsy Terne certainly doesn't hide his influences either. His vocal style and tone bear a striking resemblance to the amazing Jeff Scott Soto, and if you're a fan of Soto's powerful, soulful approach, there is plenty to enjoy in his performance. He brings a gritty edge to the proceedings, particularly when the material leans into its bluesier side, and there is a pleasing swagger to the way he delivers the songs.
The guitars are similarly steeped in blues-rock attitude. There is plenty of crunch, groove and swagger in the riffs, while the playing has enough muscle to stop things becoming overly polished or lightweight. When ILSY locks into that blues-infused groove, the album works best, giving the material a little extra character and personality.
The problem is that ILSY rarely pushes beyond what you'd expect from a melodic hard rock record. The songs are well constructed, the performances are solid and there are enough hooks to keep things moving, but there is very little here that makes you sit up and think, "Wow, that's something different."
It's not a bad album by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, there's plenty to admire here. Unfortunately, "not bad" is about as far as my enthusiasm goes. Too often the songwriting feels predictable and by the book, following the established melodic rock blueprint without adding enough of its own personality.
Ultimately, ILSY is a perfectly competent slice of melodic hard rock, but one that never really sets the speakers on fire. There's nothing particularly offensive here, but equally, there's little that gets the pulse racing. For fans of Talisman, Jeff Scott Soto and blues-infused melodic rock, it may be worth investigating, but don't expect your world to be rocked.
6/10
Essential Track – ‘Fight Fire With Fire’
Review by Woody
