| The
Review |
He is considered not only the best metal vocalist, but
also one of the greatest soul singers ever, and you really
don't know which to place first. Having a rich background
which is self explanatory leading up to his monstrous solo
career that in recent years has taken a turn towards personal
interests (funk, soul, straightforward hard rock), leaving
the melodic metal for other projects, i.e. Iommi, Voodoo Hill,
etc., but that is not to say that he isn't capable of still
producing some phenomenal records; he's still it you know.
***
Most notably recently having been teaming up with Red
Hot Chili Peppers' drummer Chad Smith on recent albums, the
leanage towards the hard edged R&B sound returns the singer/bassist
to his days when he played on classic Purple records like
'Burn' and especially 'Come Taste the Band,' which is very
far fetched from his Sabbath days, but nevertheless, his stance
for melody and groove is intact as always for a record that
stands for a higher point of accessibility among any rock
fan today, not going way to far into AOR while forbidding
itself from plunging too deep into the depths of funk and
even mainstream elements; so there is a perfect balance here,
and enough heaviness to keep the metalheads interested. ***
Stand out moments like the opening Who reminiscent "The
Valiant Denial," the sub-acoustic "This House," the cover
of "Nights in White Satin," and the highly groove oriented
"Black Light" prove that Hughes' knack for rockin' out and
prowess for song has not been lost, and probably will not
be lost on any faction with any future release. So with whatever
musical endeavor Hughes provides his voice to, again, he proves,
he's it, he's is; 'nuff said.
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