LIONCAGE – Turn Back Time (2018)

“Turn Back Time” is the third chapter in the LIONCAGE career which started in 2015 with Done At Last and continued successfully with Second Strike in 2017, their two previous albums featured here, both very good discs in their own right.
But with “Turn Back Time” – to be released on September 21st, 2018 – Lioncage honed their craft of classic Melodic Rock / AOR to a higher level, delivering a wonderful slice of polished guitar-driven / keyboard-drenched tunes for all fans of the genre.

This time the lions caged some impressive guests to provide variation, such as as Anya Mahnken (from Beyond The Black) on the vocals on “So Long Ago”, Olaf Senkbeil (Dreamtide) on “Turn Back Time”, Neil Murray (Whitesnake) playing bass guitar on “Heaven’s Gate”, and Joe Castellini on guitar on “Comfort Me”.

The songs on “Turn Back Time” are elaborated Melodic Rock, and this is a plus for me because you can play any song again and again, tirelessly.
Starting with ‘Heaven’s Gate’, an elegant song with strong melodies, smooth vocals and solid arrangements akin Toto, Lioncage showcase how much progressed as band.

More AOR, ‘Black Water’ is a little gem, with its terrific midtempo pace, crystal clear vocals by Thorsten Bertermann (which tone brings to mind Frontline’s Stephan Kaemmerer) and a superb guitar solo.
With ‘Comfort Me’ they try something different, modern melodic rock with some Newman on it, then follower ‘Blind’ is more rocking with biting guitars and very, very catchy overall.

Title track ‘Turn Back Time’ is a highlight for me – although all songs are very good – that kind of slow paced melodic rock song that has it all: complete instrumentation, soaring vocals and atmospheres.

Did I said highlight? ‘Believe in Magic’ is another one with its Journey feel circa Trial By Fire, the elegant AOR waves ‘The Wall’ sounds like an awesome mix between Strangeways and Canadians Wall Of Silence, then ‘Dead Man Walk’ seems taken from Toto’s album Kingdom Of Desire.
These 3 songs delivered in a row worth this CD alone.

More quality arrive with the fantastic ‘So Long Ago’ with its pulsating rhythm, lovely keyboards, and effective duet between Bertermann and the powerful female pipes of Anya Mahnken. Think Dante Fox’s finest moments.
‘How Can U Say’ reminds me of Work Of Art, midtempo melodic rocker ‘How Does It Feel’ Tommy Denander / Radioactive, and ‘Let the Children Dance’ adds a poppy touch, more Work Of Art meets Mr. Mister.

Germans Lioncage have reached its boiling point with “Turn Back Time”, a bubbly collection of superb Melodic Rock / AOR in the classy mold, perfectly arranged, performed and recorded.
Consistent and always entertaining, there’s not a weak track among the 12 on offer.
One of the best albums of the year so far… get it now.
HIGHLY Recommended

01 – Heaven’s Gate
02 – Black Water
03 – Comfort Me
04 – Blind
05 – Turn Back Time
06 – Believe in Magic
07 – The Walls
08 – Dead Man Walk
09 – So Long Ago
10 – How Can U Say
11 – How Does It Feel
12 – Let the Children Dance

Thorsten Bertermann – vocals
Torsten Landsberger – drums
Lars König – guitar
Arvid Lucas – bass
Bülent Sezen – drums
guests:
Anya Mahnken – vocals on track 9
Olaf Senkbeil – vocals on track 5
Neil Murray – bass on track 1
Joe Castellini – guitar on track 3
Anja Bublitz – backing vocals

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www.amazon.de/Turn-Back-Time-Lioncage/dp/B07F9GZRM2
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