TNT – XIII [Japanese Edition +1] (2018)

Norwegian hard rock pioneers TNT will release a new studio album, “XIII“, on June 8 via Frontiers Music. This Japanese Edition hit the stores tomorrow, with the usual bonus track.
Produced by studio veteran Kjartan Hesthagen and Ronni Le Tekrø, the album title “XIII” signifies TNT’s thirteenth studio album and the first to feature new Spanish vocalist Baol Bardot Bulsara.

For reasons both personal and professional, vocalist Tony Harnell parted ways with TNT in 2006. Almost immediately, TNT hired British Tony Mills who played in the band for seven years. Between 2013 and 2017, Harnell was in and out of the TNT line-up, even taking a brief stint fronting Skid Row for six months in 2015.
On November 22, 2017, TNT introduced their newest singer Baol Bardot Bulsara, who debuted to a crowd of 8,000 fans while TNT played with Scorpions in Oslo. Just what the doctor ordered, Bulsara’s vocals fit TNT’s musical style like a glove, possessing a pleasing and engaging falsetto – highly comparable, at places, to Steve Perry.

Regarded by the band as ‘a return to TNT’s classic ’80s sound’, “XIII” is a polished album which keeps you listening as the tracks go from midtempo melodic rockers to catchy hard rock numbers.
Starting off strong, the engaging “We’re Gonna Make It” sets the precedent for the entire album.
The sound of “Not Feeling Anything” belongs in an Eighties movie soundtrack, strongly reminiscent of Kenny Loggins’ ‘Danger Zone’ from the 1986 film Top Gun.

A steady rocker, “Fair Warning” contains a well-paced groove and warns something big is coming. If fact, I don’t know if to call it big, but strikingly different; “It’s Electric” is a funky groovy light rocker like Extreme without the distortion, more in the Richie Kotzen way. Quite original and melodic for sure.
“Where You Belong” places Bulsara’s gratifying pipes on display in a semi-ballad where he sounds a lot like Steve Perry. This guy is a real find.

“Can’t Breathe Anymore” is very close to AOR with its melodious nuances, and again, Journey comes to mind. And I like it. A lot.
We already heard the advanced single, the anthemic “Get Ready For Some Hard Rock”, a song with that ’80s Arena Rock feel all over. Moving along, “People, Come Together” proves the most dynamic track on XIII, asking folks to unite as one, and musically is classic the ’80s TNT promised.

A really good solid melodic rocker, “Tears In My Eyes” has a melody reminiscent of Stryper’s hit ‘Calling On You’, but in fact this is pure TNT circa Intuition, a bright melodic rock song full of magic.
“17th of May” surprise again with a broken riff and some modernity however production is classic ’90s, Thereafter, the poppy elements of “Catch A Wave” (some H.E.A.T here) and the enormous ballad “Sunshine” close out TNT’s thirteenth chapter in fine style.
The Japanese bonus is an alternate version of “We’re Gonna Make It (Alt. Version), with a more separate instrumental mix.

TNT’s “XIII” offers a truly varied collection of Arena Rock songs mixing the band’s ’80s sound & style with some fresh ideas, all placed at the light side of the melodic hard rock spectrum.
Bardot Bulsara soars as TNT’s charismatic new vocalist, and, even with a whisper, he shows an irresistible and impassioned range. Furthermore, the combination of Le Tekrø, Dahl, and Husemoen are superb in displaying a natural talent for creating inviting melodies and esthetic song arrangements.
What I liked most about “XIII” is that avoids the ‘uniform sound production’ of the current melodic rock releases; each track, or most of them, sound different, varied.
Highly Recommended

01. We’re Gonna Make It
02. Not Feeling Anything
03. Fair Warning
04. It’s Electric
05. Where You Belong
06. Can’t Breathe Anymore
07. Get Ready For Some Hard Rock
08. People, Come Together
09. Tears In My Eyes
10. 17th Of May
11. Catch A Wave
12. Sunshine
13. We’re Gonna Make It (Alt. Version) (Japan Bonus Track)

Baol Bardot Bulsara – Vocals
Ronni Le Tekro – Guitars
Diesel Dahl – Drums
Ove Husemoen – Bass
guests:
Roger Gilton: Keyboards On Track 5, 11
Bård Svendsen: Backing vocals
Tony Harnell: Backing vocals On Track 6
Tim Scott O`Connell: Backing vocals On Track 1, 4
Hc Gjestvang: Keyboards On Track 7
Trond Meland: Backing vocals On Track 5
Anette Hofstad: Backing vocals On Track 5
Tom Arne Fossheim: Drums And Dubbs On Track 7
TNT Hardrock Choir featuring Horny By Nature & The Girls On Track 7

PRE ORDER:
www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/KICP-1836
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