| The
Review |
The follow up to their debut album tended to take a more
pop-relevant route, not that it was 'Alternative' or anything
like that, but the crunch notch had been turned down a slight
bit (at least comparing it to the first record). However,
it wasn't a bad turn at all, in many cases, you can imagine
what the 'wall of Marshalls' could do to some of the tracks;
but then again, maybe this wall isn't needed, because these
guys have always been excellent songsmiths in the AOR world.
***
Speaking of which, the catchiness on cuts like "Don't
Give Up," "Get a Little Closer," and "Lonely Rooms" still
reins, not to mention that "Heart of Summer" shows extreme
pop prowess, being the typical 'summer' anthem unto itself;
no, literally, it is. 'Rainmaker' does have it harder edged
moments on "Burning Heart," the darkish "Desert Song," and
"Stars & the Moon" showing that these guys were in no way
going to go soft; and the proof of that even shows years after
this release, particularly on their new reunion record 'Brother's
Keeper,' where they just rock, still showcasing their strong
penmanship skills. ***
Even though 'Rainmaker' might not have been as hard driving
as the debut, it wasn't some carbon copy of it, which indeed
proved that there was room for growth within the band, and
it also attested to be a good move for these German melodic
rock heroes, for which this was their breakthrough record
in Japan. Even years after it's release and with melody taking
revenge in the world of hard rock, 'Rainmaker' marks another
milestone in the melodic rock world.
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