VEGA – Stereo Messiah [Japanese edition] (2014)

*

Perhaps the best Album of the Year? Oh yeah, in the Top 5 for sure. “Stereo Messiah” put Melodic Rockers VEGA among the finest acts from the genre nowadays.
This Japanese edition features as bonus an old Vega song – “One Of A Kind” – completely re-worked with a lead piano and a ton of vocal harmony layers. It’s labeled as demo quality (done as tribute for a lost friend), but sounds wonderful to me.

The band came out swinging, going for the fences, with another platter full of arena ready Melodic Rock. This album may be the messiah to save your stereo from the shit of modern rock music.
Everything about this album is huge.
The arrangements are large, with guitars and synths abounding in melody, the rhythm section steady and heart pounding, and the vocal arrangements lush and emotional. (Nick Workman has one of the best voices in Rock today).

In “Stereo Messiah” all is wrapped up in groove, smooth and toe-tapping, and includes some of the finest, catchiest hooks – in lyrics and arrangement – you’ll find anywhere.
Largely, from start to finish, every song is simply terrific. Ear candy, plain and simple.
Are harmony vocals your thing? Then latch onto “The Wild, The Weird, The Wonderful”, “Neon Heart”, or the amazing “Ballad of the Broken Hearted”.
Dig guitar solos? Find them in every song, but notable in title track “Stereo Messiah”, “All Or Nothing” or the aforementioned “Neon Heart”.
Need a big glossy ballad? Here’s “Tears Never Dry”.

I could go on, but you know the drill for what makes AOR / Melodic Rock shine great. Even better, there’s no filler here.
Even the more ‘average’ song “10X Bigger Than Love”, written by Def Leppard’s Joe Elliot (who duets with lead singer Nick Workman), with it’s weird sitar notes, can’t diminish the strength of this album.
Everything about Vega’s “Stereo Messiah” is impressive, powerful, and immediately entertaining & joyful.
If you dig classic Melodic Rock / AOR delivered with an updated sound, VEGA’s “Stereo Messiah” is pretty fandamntastic.
ESSENTIAL.

【 KING RECORDS ~ KICP-1709 】

01 – Stereo Messiah
02 – All Or Nothing
03 – Wherever We Are
04 – Ballad Of The Broken Hearted
05 – Gonna Need Some Love Tonight
06 – The Fall
07 – Neon Heart
08 – With Both Hands
09 – 10 X Bigger Than Love
10 – My Anarchy
11 – The Wild, The Weird, The Wonderful
12 – Tears Never Dry
13 – One Of A Kind (Japanese bonus track)

Nick Workman – Vocals
Tom Martin – Guitars
Daniel Chantrey – Drums
James Martin – Keyboards
Marcus Thurston – Guitars
Joe Elliot (Def Leppard) – guest Vocals

BUY IT !
www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/KICP-1709
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