Pink Cream 69 – Ceremonial Review

I guess I felt the songs here for the most part didn't grab me as much as past albums from Pink Cream 69, maybe is the guitars, the sound...

pinkcream69_ceremonial_cover

Released by: Frontiers Records

Release Date: January 25th, 2013

Genre: Hard Rock

Links: http://www.pinkcream69.com/

 

Line Up:

David Readman – vocals

Alfred Koffler – guitars

Uwe Reitenauer – guitars

Dennis Ward – bass

Chris Schmidt – drums

 

Tracklist:

01. Land Of Confusion

02. Wasted Years

03. Special

04. Find Your Soul

05. The Tide

06. Big Machine

07. Let The Thunder Roll

08. Right From Wrong

09. Passage Of Time

10. I Came To Rock

11. King For One Day

12. Superman

 

One of the early anticipated releases of 2013 for me was the 11th studio album, YES 11th album from the melodic hard rock/metal band Pink Cream 69 formerly PC69. The history of PC can be traced back to their early inception in 1987 when it was founded in Karlsruhe, Germany by Andi Deris, Dennis Ward, Kosta Zafiriou and Alfred Koffler, yes that same Andi Deris who’s been the Helloween singer since he left Pink Cream in 1994 opening the doors for the outstanding British singer David Readman who has been part of their most successful albums to date and is still their current vocalist. Musically speaking they have always had a sustaining distinctive sound a cross mix between Pretty Maids and European Scandanavia Hard Rock/Melodic Rock and are responsible for some of the best Hard Rock albums in my collection to this day; think Electrified, Sonic Dynamite and Thunderdome as their most respective work.

Their last offering In10sity back in 2007 received some good feedback but in my opinion was a slight step down from the terrific Thunderdome. Well a long wait is over now and the guys have returned to the fold with their new studio work titled “Ceremonial” and for the most part the line up is intact except for the replacement of drummer Kosta Zafiriou by Chris Schmidt. The buildup of albums like these can easily lead to a fail grade and even though I took my time in reviewing this one is clear that the new direction that Pink Cream has taken on Ceremonial is more contemporary as opposed to their past records. The music is not bad is just a little less driving and less hard rock and more Rock and Modern in places which causes the album to be a hit or miss endeavor for me.

The production is okay but considering Dennis Ward is behind this as always is a bit of a mystery  the music seems a bit more raw then on previous records, perhaps this was the intention who knows. We open things up with the track “Land of Confusion” which is one of the few songs closer to their past classic PC 69 material, not a bad opener I suppose. The next song totally looses me in “Wasted Years” very different and diverse tune, gone is the hard rock groove and simply put this song is just modern rock with something missing can’t put my finger on it yet. The chorus in “Special” saves this one from going under, a nice little up tempo riff makes this one interesting. The buildup of modern softness works a little better on “The Tide” partially due to Readman’s great voice as he makes this song soar and makes it memorable. One of the hardest tunes here resonates in “Right From Wrong” which holds strong towards the bottom half of the album.

I guess I felt the songs here for the most part didn’t grab me as much as past albums from Pink Cream 69, maybe is the guitars, the sound and the overall atmosphere just left a void without the punch of it’s hard rock edge of their previous works. I’m not going to sit here and say is a bad record because is not, but just not as impressed with this one as I thought I would be. David Readman’s voice is always top notch and that helps the songs marginally in some spots, but in the end is just not enough for me to say is one of their strongest efforts. Is definitely their most diverse record and it shows. If you’re a fan of the band and don’t mind that then you should check it out, but be warned to listen to it before you decide.

 

Written by Denys

Ratings    Denys    7/10

 

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