MASS – When 2 Worlds Collide [Escape Music 2024 reissue] *HQ*
A cult band from the American ’80s hard rock scene, signed by Escape Music MASS did a comeback some years ago with the release of the album “When 2 Worlds Collide”, their album number eight, where the added keyboards & strings to their music add created a new dimension to the band’s classy melodic hard rock sound. Michael Sweet (Stryper) appears as guest.
With the album being out of print, now Escape is reissuing “When 2 Worlds Collide“, an album that worth a revisit for sure.
Like many bands who have been around awhile, Mass touch on their past with ‘Some Time Ago’, a tale of young dreams and the sharks that lay await in the music business. It is has a great riff driven rocker with lovely keyboards all over (shades of Whitesnake to it) that perfectly blend with the guitar and pounding rhythm section.
There’s a lot of catchiness in ‘Only A Dream’, a big balls out rocker with a suitably solo by guitarist Gene D’tria. ‘Just Can’t Deny’ is one for lovers of ’70s hard rock with its Hammond and guitar solos. Mass hail from Boston, and this song is like Boston (the band) meets Deep Purple, superb stuff.
Longtime friend of the band (and producer of some of their albums) Stryper’s Michael Sweet adds a suitably fine guitar solo the big production ballad ‘Stand Alone’ – another song to benefit from added keys and orchestration. There is a piano led ballad on here as well in the shape of ‘Second Hand Rose’, which allows vocalist Louis St. August to have a break from the hard rocking singing elsewhere on the album.
“When 2 Worlds Collide” is quite possibly the best album the band have done to date and that’s no mean feat as they have been consistently producing really good music through the years.
Mass delivers here classic American Melodic Hard Rock as it should be done and then some.
HIGHLY Recommended
01 – Just can’t deny
02 – Only a dream
03 – Falling in love
04 – Alive
05 – Second hand rose
06 – Turn it over
07 – Revenge for the maiden
08 – Some time ago
09 – Stand alone
10 – Time marches on
11 – When 2 worlds collide
Louis St. August – vocals
Gene D’Itria – guitar
Michael Palumbo – bass
Joey “Vee” Vadala – drums
Jeremy Heussi – keyboards, strings
Michael Sweet (Stryper) – guest guitar solo
BUY
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CTVHS6MH
