It has gone almost 2 years since the British band Shadowman released their debut album Land Of The Living. Now Steve Overland (FM), Steve Morris (Heartland), Harry James (Thunder) and Chris Childs (Thunder) are back with the 2nd one called Different Angles. The debut had elements of both Heartland and FM and was a nice album without those real AOR winners that I had expected. I?ve been a big fan of FM and Steve Overland throughout the years and I have always looked forward to hear him sing and I mean sing pure AOR songs a?la Wildlife/FM (Indiscreet and Tought It Out) but I been let down time after time, unfortunately. So by now I understand that I will never hear him sing those kind of songs.
This new one is more laid back than the debut and is more melodic rock with some AOR/Blues influences. I will compare this one with FM?s Dead Man?s Shoes and Thunders Behind Closed Doors. Like the debut there are a couple of highlights on this one as well. "Cry Wolf" is a nice rocker with a strong chorus,"When It?s Gone It?s Gone" is the song that has most AOR traces with a very AORish chorus, very good song. "In The Shadows" is a straight ahead rocker with one of the better choruses of the album,"Did It For Love" is a bluesy semi-ballad in the veins of FM. Then there are a couple of tracks that are boring and weak like "Dreams Die Hard", "Chains" and "Satellite" (sound a bit like U2s Vertigo but weaker) that we really could have been without. A few nice tracks but they won?t save this new Shadowman album. Steve Overland sings with feeling and only he can get a song to sound good, yes he sings that good but I?m sorry to say that it won?t save this album.
Fantastic vocals but way too much average songs and the production work from Steve Morris is not that strong either. The album has been mixed by Pete Coleman (Black Sabbath, AC/DC). The debut was Ok but Different Angles is a bit weaker and misses those really gems.
