HARDLINE – Double Eclipse [Bad Reputation remaster +4] (2019) *EXCLUSIVE*

Today we have here in exclusive the fresh Bad Reputation Records remastered version of HARDLINE classic “Double Eclipse” including 4 bonus tracks.
0dayrox already featured some time ago the stupendous Japanese release of this essential album on SHM-CD, but this new reissue includes the juicy bonuses that worth the purchase.
In terms of sound quality, this fresh remaster is a bit deeper in the bass output, fuller and well balanced.

With Journey on hiatus and after two albums with Bad English, at the beginning of the ’90s guitar master Neal Schon and drummer extraordinaire Deen Castronovo joined a new project founded by the then relatively unknown vocalist Johnny Gioeli (ex Brunette).
Schon & Gioeli re-arranged many song ideas Johnny and his bro Joey Gioeli started in ’80s, with the help of talented Jonathan Cain on some of them, with the likes of Eddie Money also involved.
The result was “Double Eclipse”, one of the greatest Melodic Hard Rock albums of all time.

“Double Eclipse” was recorded from September 1991 to February 1992, then mixing and mastering finished in April of 1992.
All songs included on the record are simply amazing, and the album as whole, from songwriting and performances to production has proved over time to be a melodic hard rock masterpiece.

Let’s start with this: Johnny Gioeli’s performance alone is worth buying the album. His voice echoes through with insane bursts of maturity and a low pitch that tweaks on through the audio tracks, and is absolutely breathtaking. Gioeli sounds great into every track and keeps up this superb vocal range throughout the entire LP.
The guitar playing is excellent, Schon keeps the melodies and tempos gliding along through the songs. Johnny’s bro Joey is mindlessly good on a rhythm guitar and keeps the echoing audio moving.

The style of songs on “Double Eclipse” is quite varied and starts off with an arena rock one such as ‘Life’s a Bitch’ with its gang shouted verses and the fist pumping chorus.
The pure melodic and emotional side comes from songs like the excellent ‘Everything’ and the hit ‘Hot Cherie’ (a revamped version of Streetheart‘s song), a catchy as Hell tune.
‘Everything’ is a smooth number, with a great guitar tone. The intro lick is subtle yet forceful at the same time, packed with feeling. Speaking of feeling, Johnny’s voice is tremendous here, it has such emotion to it that the song is almost overwhelming. The chorus is also pure melodic hard rock bliss and the “singability” factor is high, one of the catchiest songs in the genre, ever.

There’s a thunderous rocker in ‘Dr. Love’ (written by maestros Mark Baker & Mike Slamer), a terrific instrumental from the extraordinary Neal Schon in ’31-91′, while we find a surprisingly eerie lyrical flow over a great drum beat in ‘Takin’ Me Down’, creating an almost gritty atmosphere for it over the guitar lines.
‘In The Hands of Time’ is just another highlight, starting with a heartwarming acoustic intro, following with a calming drum beat and a serenading, freely calm pitch from Gioeli’s amazing voice, then kicks off with an explosive solo from Schon. Absolutely breathtaking.
The emotional delivery of ‘Can’t Find My Way’ will most definitely worm its way into your brain and have you singing along, thumping along on the steering wheel and keeping this disc on repeat over and over again.

This Bad Reputation remastered reissue include as bonus the killer original Japanese bonus track ‘Love Leads The Way’, a mid-paced AOR ballad full of magic and also a highlight, plus perfectly recorded live versions of ‘Life’s A Bitch (Live)’, ‘In The Hands of Time (Live)’ and ‘Dr. Love (Live)’, all captured at Marin Civic Centre, San Raphael, California on August 23rd 1992 in front of a hot audience.

From start to finish, “Double Eclipse” is stellar. Amazing musicians, outstanding songwriting and some awesome vocals makes this record a perfect Melodic Hard Rock album.
If you haven’t heard this album yet then you came from Saturn, and if you got a copy it’s time to revisit and replace it with this superb remaster.
The already outstanding production with that unique 1990-91 period glossy treatment is augmented here with top notch definition.
ESSENTIAL

Only at 0dayrox

01. Life’s A Bitch
02. Dr. Love
03. Rhythm From A Red Car
04. Change of Heart
05. Everything
06. Takin’ Me Down
07. Hot Cherie
08. Bad Taste
09. Can’t Find My Way
10. I’ll Be There
11. 11. 31-91
12. In The Hands 0f Time
BONUS TRACKS:
13. Love Leads The Way
14. In The Hands of Time (Live)
15. Life’s A Bitch (Live)
16. Dr. Love (Live)

Johnny Gioeli – vocals, guitars, percussion
Neal Schon – guitars, guitar synthesizer, backing vocals
Joey Gioeli – guitars, backing vocals
Todd Jensen – bass, backing vocals
Deen Castronovo – drums, backing vocals

BUY IT
badreputation.fr/HARDLINE-DOUBLE-ECLIPSE-Reissue-remastered-Bonus-tracks/en
www.amazon.de/Double-Eclipse-Hardline/dp/B07SZGSZ4Y