Released by: Prime Entertaintment
Release Date: May 4th, 2012
Genre: Melodic Hard Rock
Links: http://www.wildfrontier.de
Line Up:
Jens Walkenhorst – Lead Vocals/ Guitar
Mario Erdmann – Bass/ Vocals
Thomas Ellenberger – Keyboards/ Vocals
Sascha Fahrenbach – Drums/ Guitar
Nico Fahrenbach – Drums
Tracklist:
1. 2012
2. To the end of the world
3. It´s all over now
4. Another lonely day without you
5. Why don´t you save me
6. Stay Tough
7. Favorite
8. It´s all up to you
9. Tonight Tonight Tonight
10. Can´t you hear me calling
11. Long gone
12. Why are the good things too hard to find
13. Gimme Gimme Gimme (bonus track)
The German natives of Wild Frontier return to the scene after a five year hiatus with their new studio record “2012”. I have to be honest and say that I had not heard of this outfit in all my time covering bands overseas, specifically in the Melodic Rock genre. But these guys are not new to the scene, rather the opposite as they have been around since the mid 90’s and have sparingly released music throughout the last few years leading up to this new album, they’re now 5th studio record.
One thing is obvious about these guys and they’re style, and that is the allure of their melodies on some of the tracks off their new record. Their sound falls somewhere in between Melodic Modern Rock and Hard Rock,with a big focus on their catchy melodic hooks. Is nice to hear a record with deviates a bit from the same formula that some rockers use, a little more synthetic in places is something you pick up on the guitar leads, this alongside the solid songwriting keeps the listener hooked throughout.
The first opening track I really could not place anywhere in comparison to the rest of the album, is a mid modern rocker which I felt was missing some more hooks overall, a little too direct and kind of a let down. But as that song ends you fall into the rhythms of “To The End of the World” which has an alluring chorus. The next track falls into the same heavenly category with “It’s All Over Now” a call for the apocalypse which some believe is coming on December 21, 2012. While lush melodies continue, I will say they are simplistic in form but the overall execution is in fine flavor, these guys know how to deliver a catchy piece of music, as tracks the likes of “Favorite” and “Can’t You Hear Me Calling” keep the ball rolling hard up hill.
For some weird reason I couldn’t stop but kick back and replay the track “Why Don’t You Save Me” as lead singer Jens Walkenhorst sounds like Don Dokken in he’s hey day, you know back when he actually had half of his voice left. Sorry Don cheap shot I know we still love ya. The steel punk vibes of “Tonight, Tonight, Tonight” has a crushing upbeat rhythm that provides the listener with a youthful revolt type of groove, nice addition to the record.
This is an enjoyable album by Wild Frontier, they don’t reinvent anything on the Melodic Rock wheel, rather they stick to the all susceptible European rock formula and provide the listener with some pretty cool melodies, an added punk attitude and overall embellish the listener in their fantastic choruses. Pretty solid production overall and a more then capable lead singer in Walkenhorst. Plenty of material to grind your teeth to as the album tops at 13 tracks with most of them delivering the goods with only a few clunkers. A band that probably won’t get much play simply because of the way the scene is now a days, you would be smart enough to check them out just cause I said so.
Written by Denys
Ratings Denys 8/10
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