Released by: Heaven & Hell Records
Release Date: Out Now
Genre: Hard Rock
Links: bandcamp.com
Line Up:
Jimmy Ambrose: Guitar, Vocals
Harry Finnegan: Drums, Vocals
Rob Sheh: Bass (Tracks 8 & 9)
Andy Meyer: Lead Vocals
Mike Miranda: Guitar, Vocals
Nars Lopez: Bass (Tracks1-3)
Rick Lehland: Bass (Tracks 4-7
Tracklist:
01. Where’s The Show
02. Chains
03. Run In The Night
04. Straight Thru The Heart
05. Dreams Come True
06. Change Of Heart
07. Hold On
08. Dangerous Love
09. Burning Up
Whenever Gary and/or Jeremy of Heaven & Hell Records are about to release a new album and say the words, “this one will sell fast,” I tend to order it ASAP if I have the money. I have a respectable amount of their catalog in my CD and LP collection, and more times than not, it’s the ones that the above caveat are my favorites of the bunch. As I’ve said before, the specialty of H&H is finding those “local” bands from all over the world that never ventured far from home, finally giving them the chance to shine for a moment, and get their material out, whether for the very first time or bringing it to the fans product which has been long out of print and outrageously expensive. This release is a band that never got the chance to release their material.
Mirrors Image, out of New York, came together like so many other local bands, with the dissolution of other bands. This album, Run Through the Night, is a culmination of the demos they recorded over their brief career in the 80s. As I listened to this collection of 9 tracks, I was impressed with how unique their sound was. There’s a definite 80’s Hard Rock vibe in the songs with soaring divebomb guitar swells and solos, anthemic musical phrases, and a powerfully melodic voice, yet the songs have an almost Progressive feel to them without being too technical. And herein lies the problem that seems to ultimately lead to their demise. Part of the band wanted to steer more towards a straightforward style akin to Guns ‘N’ Roses who was starting to explode onto the scene at the time, while the rest of the band wanted to explore the style that brought them to the dance, to begin with. This fraction made them victims of their circumstances. I wish they had kept going. The sound they created here with tracks like “Run In the Night,” “Where’s the Show,” and “Burning Up” is a cut above a lot of the cookie cutter stuff that came out shortly after the deluge of GNR and Poison clones.
It’s hard to say if Mirrors Image would’ve “made it” had they remained together, gotten signed, and had the chance to show the world what they were capable of. It’s possible that the uniqueness of their music still would’ve left them in the confines of Heavy Metal obscurity. Who is to say? I’m just glad to have been given the chance to have made their musical acquaintance either way.
Written by: Chris Martin
Ratings: 9/10
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