Released By : Self Released

Genre : Melodic Rock, AOR

Link : http://www.myspace.com/mitchmalloy

Tracklist:

01 – I’m The One
02 – Falling To Pieces
03 – I’ll Love You Still
04 – Carry On
05 – Love Song
06 – On And On
07 – I Don’t Know How
08 – Take It All
09 – What I Miss
10 – As Long As I’m With You
11 – Let Love Win
12 – All My Friends

Many people were disappointed when Mitch Mallow released his sophomore album CEILINGS AND WALLS in 1994, because he showed so much potential on his debut album a couple of years before, but had then turned into a real lightweight West-Coast rock/Mother’s Day rock figurehead. Things didn’t really improve much after that either, with 2001’s SHINE which was seen as an attempted return to form but was plagued by a poor production and too many sub-par songs. Then in 2008 we were forced to sit through FAITH, which was a largely acoustic-based album custom made for Christian Rock fans but nobody else.

Now here we are in 2011, a time in which the Melodic Rock and AOR sounds of the past have been re-embraced by music listeners across the globe and Mitch Malloy has released II, which he is calling the logical successor to his debut album, basically disregarding everything that came in between. Put simply, this is the album fans of Malloy have waited for for nearly twenty years. So after such a long wait, how does it stack up then?……

Actually, II is pretty bloody good really and will be sure to excite Melodic Rock and AOR fans everywhere. Not content though to attempt such a miraculous comeback alone, Malloy has recruited some of his music industry friends to lend a little bit a hand including Phil Collen, Jeff Scott Soto, Brett Walker and Keith Scott. The only slight niggle I have with the album is that it’s a little bit top-heavy. Why I say this is because the three best songs on offer here are actually the first three in the running order, and while there’s another couple of rippers along the way, II never quite keeps up the promise of the opening trifecta.

Opener I’M THE ONE is a truly awesome tune and it’s here that Jeff Scott Soto and Brett Walker offer their talents in the back-up vocal department. FALLING TO PIECES was actually a co-write with DEF LEPPARD axeman Phil Collen and he also plays on the track too. Then I’LL LOVE YOU STILL which reminds me of the sort of stuff Steve Overland is doing these days with SHADOWMAN. ON AND ON, WHAT I MISS and closing track ALL MY FRIENDS all come the closest to matching the opening trio but don’t quite get right up there.

Overall you’d have to say that II is a fantastic comeback. Not quite up the lofty heights set by Malloy’s debut, but much, much better than anything else that has come in between. Every fan of Melodic Rock and AOR music should definitely have this album in their list of stuff to check out.

Written By ZeeZee

Rating : 8/10