Simon RushworthJoel Hoekstra’s 13 – Dying To Live (Frontiers Music)
Genre: Melodic Rock
When Whitesnake and former Night Ranger axeman Joel Hoekstra started penning the tracks that would shape the sensational Dying To Live there was no intention to supplement his work with a plethora of rock and roll glitterati.
Yet that’s exactly how it turned out. Any record featuring the vocal talents of Jeff Scott Soto and Russell Allen is guaranteed to tug at the heartstrings and fire the passion – but who knew Hoekstra’s blues-tinged, melodic rock riffs would complement the classy duo so well?
Add a rhythm section driven by Vinny Appice and Tony Franklin, guest spots from Derek Sheridan and Tony Hitchcock and it should come as no great surprise that the majority of the music here is on another level – artistically and emotionally.
Fans of late 80s Whitesnake should shoot straight for Long For The Days. Benefitting from a glossy production and Hoekstra’s finest fret melting, it’s an unashamed throwback to melodic rock’s MTV-fuelled heyday and all the better for it.
Opener Say Goodbye To The Sun resonates at the more metal end of the scale while Changes casually threatens to steal the show. Chloe Lowery’s contribution to the countryfied set closer What We Believe sets the seal on a record that shimmers from start to finish.
RUSHONROCK RATED: 9/10 Lucky 13