C.T.P. / CHRISTIAN TOLLE PROJECT – Now & Then ‘Encore’ (2022)
German based guitarist / songwriter Christian Tolle is releasing his new C.T.P. / CHRISTIAN TOLLE PROJECT album ”Now & Then : Encore” where Christian decided to revisit some of the earlier songs of his and combine a fresh and new sound with some brand new tunes.
Some of C.T.P. strongest tunes can be found here, such as the epic ‘Ain’t Gonna Let It Slide’, the cracker ‘Fire Away’ or the energetic power play in ‘Never Had It So Good’. The cast of musicians contains again the long time partners vocalists John Cuijpers (Praying Mantis, Ayreon), David Reece and for the first time David Frazee (Burning Water, Michael Landau Liquid Quartet) on vocals.
LA session legend Michael Thompson plays leads on the revisited ‘She Doesn’t Know’, guitar wizard Mathias Dieth (ex-U.D.O., Gravestone) guests on two tracks, long time companion Morris Adriaens is on keyboards, Hammond organ and backings.
Also Randy van der Elsen (Vandenberg) added backing vocals as well as Mendy Sneijers and Theo Talboom. Tolle has complete control of C.T.P., from songwriting to production & mix, responsible for guitars, bass, drums as well.
It is fair to say that Now & Then “Encore” delivers a wide range of handmade melodic rock, AOR, classic rock: pure variety, excellent songs and a modern, rich sound – classic stuff with a modern edge.
The re-worked songs are stronger in arrangements and production, while the new ones showcase a more rocking approach than the previous C.T.P. material.
This is classic melodic Rock / AOR plenty of smooth melodies reminiscent of the glorious ’80s, a wide variety of timeless tunes from uptempo rocking tracks to catchy AOR anthems and Westcoast influences. All involved deliver convincing performances, and of course, always is pleasure to listen to Michael Thompson, Reece, Cuijpers, etc.
Highly Recommended
01. Ain’t Gonna Let It Slide (feat. David Reece)
02. Never Had It So Good (feat. David Reece)
03. Sword And Stone (feat. John Cuijpers)
04. Angel (feat. David Frazee)
05. Raining From My Eyes (feat. David Reece)
06. Fire Away (feat. David Reece)
07. Monkey Park (feat. David Frazee)
08. She Doesn’t Know (feat. John Cuijpers)
09. In The Dark (feat. John Cuijpers)
Christian Tolle – Guitars, Bass, Drums
John Cuijpers (Cooper Inc., Praying Mantis, Ayreon) – Vocals
David Frazee (Burning Water, Michael Landau Liquid Quartet) – Vocals
David Reece (ex-Accept, ex-Bonfire) – Vocals
Morris Adriaens – Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Guests:
Michael Thompson (MTB) – Guitar Solo on 8
Mathias Dieth (ex-U.D.O., Gravestone) – Guitars
Randy van der Elsen (Vandenberg) – Backing Vocals
Mendy Sneijers – Backing Vocals
Theo Talboom – Backing Vocals
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www.christiantolle.com/html/record_shop.html
