Simon RushworthWinger — Seven (Frontiers)
Resurrect Me, four tracks into the superior Seven, represents the true rebirth of Kip Winger’s unfairly mocked former hair metal crew.
It’s robust mix of gang-styled vocal harmonies and feverish guitar flourishes perfectly straddles the decades.
And it’s a do-it-all anthem that drives home Winger’s bold reincarnation as bastions of heavy blues — building on Karma’s killer change of pace and the bullish Better Days Comin’.
It’s almost 10 years since Rushonrock picked the latter as its Record Of The Week.
Even then, Winger were no longer the Bon Jovi-lite pop rock pretty boys who’d clung on to the coat tails of MTV’s A-listers.
And as hazy memories of that excess-all-era period in time fade faster than your favourite stonewashed denim, Seven, like its ballsy predecessor, is no lame exercise in spandex-clad nostalgia,
Just as Better Days Comin’ (and, of course, they never really did) showcased Winger as hard rockers reimagined, Seven is another example of more steel and less silk.
Yet again, the peerless Reb Beach brings the experience of navigating Whitesnake’s subtle late noughties reinvention to the table.
And his beefy riffs are at the heart of Winger’s heavy blues evolution — complementing a raw and raspier Kip Winger.
Beavis and Butt-Head will be choking on their chocos.
It might be 35 years since Winger were relentlessly ridiculed by two cartoon kids but that very public take-down remains an ugly albatross around the band’s neck.
In 2023, Seven swaps tired hair metal tropes for a more mature approach to modern rock.
And it works a treat.
It All Comes Back Around for reborn Winger
According to Kip Winger, Reb Beach, Rod Morgenstein and Paul Taylor — all original members — It All Comes Back Around on Seven’s superb album closer.
More than seven minutes of meticulously fashioned music is a terrific two-fingered salute to those who still question Winger’s songwriting craft.
And if it’s hardly ‘Kip does prog’ then it’s proof positive that one of the finest vocalists in a generation is still capable of springing the odd surprise.
It All Comes Back Around delivers a timely message given Winger hit the road with Steel Panther across the UK this month.
But the teasing title’s a little disingenuous: there’s a refreshing level of depth and clarity underpinning a song that’s far removed from catalogue ‘classics’ including Seventeen and Can’t Get Enuff.
Those looking for old school Winger might just find it on Stick The Knife In And Twist.
The fast-paced, made-for-MTV anthem wouldn’t sound out of place on a Kiss record from the late 80s.
And it’s strangely reassuring to know that Kip and his buddies haven’t completely erased their storied past.
The Jovi-meets-Hagar It’s Okay is another nod to Winger’s poppier past.
But be warned: there’s no Headed For A Heartbreak here.
Broken Glass is a perfectly acceptable piano-led power ballad.
But, truth be told, it’s more filler than killer.
Don’t allow Broken Glass’ misstep to shatter the illusion that Seven’s a worthy addition to the Winger canon though.
This is the record Kip and co. were always born to make and the album Beavis and Butt-Head simply never saw coming.
