MORITZ – About Time Too (2017)
A bit like London buses, you wait ages (in this case 24 years) for a MORITZ album and then three come in less than seven years. “About Time Too” is the new Moritz album – their third since their comeback in 2010 – and while co-founding guitarist Greg Hart is now busy with Cats In Space, singer Peter Scallan and guitarist Mike Nolan are still here as they did since the ’80s.
This new millennium Moritz plays classic melodic hard rock neatly packaged in an AOR feel that it is the root of the band. Their sound has all the proper elements of the genre: melodic and clean vocal arrangements, twin guitar harmony, sizzling guitar solos, hooks in arrangement and refrains, and a solid rhythm section delivering the groove.
One additional twist can be added to the mixture: since their return, Moritz can easily drop in a certain edge to their sound. You’ll find this within ‘One More Beautiful Day’, ‘Take It On The Chin’, ‘Unwanted Man’ and ‘Run’. Yet that last song finds Moritz juxtaposing heavier parts with lighter vocal segues.
Alternatively, most of the other songs turn more on AOR accessibility like ‘Moon And Back’ with its catchy chorus, or ‘Chance Of A Lifetime’ filled with warm vocal harmonies and lovely classic keyboards.
Then there’s ‘Own Little World’ which is largely driven by voice and piano, before cranking up a strong riff at the midpoint. Similar is the ballad ‘Forever Is’, where it’s mostly voice over acoustic guitar, building then to a sharp guitar solo.
Finally, Moritz gets their sweltering blues groove on with ‘You Don’t Know What Love Is’, with Scallan giving a passionate vocal performance and the guitar solo kills.
“About Time Too” is another very good album from Moritz, a band with an ’80s feel all over the place from songwriting and execution to production technique.
In some sense, “About Time Too” seems fractured in musical styles as if Moritz was conflicted between edgy melodic hard rock and AOR friendliness. Conversely, you could call this an album of diverse and various songs with a common bond: the thread of essential and classic AOR / Melodic Hard Rock.
I think the second option is the chosen by the band, trying to offer a dynamic record balanced between rockers and more melodious tunes.
Highly Recommended
01 – About Time Too (Intro)
02 – One More Beautiful Day
03 – To The Moon And Back
04 – Chance Of A Lifetime
05 – Dreamland
06 – Forever Is
07 – Take It On The Chin
08 – Run
09 – Love Long Gone
10 – Own Little World
11 – You Don’t Know What Love Is
12 – There’s Something About
13 – Unwanted Man
Peter Scallan (Samson, If Only) – Lead and backing vocals
Mike Nolan – Guitars, Vocals
Kenny Evans – Guitars, Vocals
Ian Edwards (If Only) – Bass, Synthesizers, Hammond, Vocals
Chris Teeder (Gary Moore) – Keyboards
Russ Wilson – Drums
BUY IT !
www.amazon.de/About-Time-Too-Moritz/dp/B073ZSSRM4
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