SOLEIL MOON – Warrior (2019)
“Warrior” is the new SOLEIL MOON album to be released tomorrow via Frontiers Music. Following the great critical acclaim that Soleil Moon gathered with the release of their first two albums – “Worlds Apart” (1999) and “On The Way To Everything” (2011) – the band reconvened to record a new album in 2018.
Born as a collaboration between singer Larry King (Michael Thompson Band) and keyboardist John Blasucci (Dennis DeYoung), Soleil Moon has become a personal outlet for writer and producer Larry King to spread his wings and share a piece of his life with everyone, and with Michael Thompson himself playing guitar here, the album raises its quality to the ‘moon’ indeed.
King is an exceptional vocalist, ranging from soulful to pretty rocking when needed, and always emotional. Overall, his tone and voice color brings to my mind Alfie Zappacosta, extremely clean and precise.
I have compared Soleil Moon in the past with Mecca, however this new album is not that soft, and it has cool melodic rock moments. Sure, having Michael Thompson laying down such elegant riffs and solos, the Michael Thompson Band is another reference.
Among the rockers, “Can’t go On” is among my favorites, the fun “’72 Camaro”, the great “How Long” – where King is smooth during the verses then shifts to powerful in the chorus – and the superb title track “Warrior”.
On the AOR side, we find a mix of midtempo numbers and semi-ballads in the delicate “Here for You”, the very ’80s “Halfway To Nowhere”, or the semi epic “Nothing Matters”, some kind of Pride Of Lions meets Toto.
“Warrior” is a ‘big’ AOR / Melodic Rock album, crafted in the way this type of music was done in its golden era. And while there’s still some of Soleil Moon early West Coast feel, these are merely touches, the album is quite organic in production and sound.
Highly Recommended
01. ’72 Camaro
02. Here For You
03. You And I
04. Just So You Know
05. Can’t Go On
06. Halfway To Nowhere
07. How Long
08. Nothing Matters
09. When I’m With You
10. Before The Rainbow
11. Warrior
Larry King – Vocals, Keys
Michael Thompson – Guitars
John Blasucci – Keys
Khari Parker – Drums
Chris Siebold – Guitars
Alan Berliant – Bass
Ricky Peterson – guest Organ on “72 Camaro”
PRE ORDER:
www.amazon.co.uk/Warrior-Soleil-Moon/dp/B07QN8P9BK
