Nasty Reputation

After transitioning into a solo artist and releasing the strong yet somewhat derivative album “Wild Obsession”, Axel parted ways with singer Charlie Huhn and hooked up with more accomplished and passion driven singer Rob Rock and released “Nasty Reputation”, the blue print for the new and refined ARP sound that still consistently present on his latest albums despite a changing musical world and a barrage of fly by night trends.

Rob Rock’s vocal performance on here is over-the-top, as is the case with his solo work, but this has consistently worked well for him. He pulls off sleazy sounding rocking numbers like the album’s title track and “Wanted Man” with equally proficiency as he does the more vocally exposed and keyboard driven ballad “When a Blind Man cries”. Unlike Jeff Scott Soto and Johnny Gioeli, whom both tend to sound rough edged when hitting the higher notes, Rob’s voice consistently remains a husky, classically driven tenor when not going for the over-the-top banshee screeches.

As far as the overall song collection on here, we get all the key ingredients for the same winning albums of “Oceans of Time” and “Kings and Queens” which followed a while after this one. “I will survive” and “Fighting the law” are classic ARP brand speed metal, while “Open Doors” is a three part instrumental caprice put together by Axel that listens in a similar vain to the experimental stylistic devices of Black Moon Pyramid quickie “Aqua solution” and Between the Walls instrumental extravaganza “Desert Fire”. “Wanted Man” and “Firewall” are cut from the mid-tempo 80s inspired sleaze metal but with a bit more attitude, as is “Unchain the Thunder” but with a few quiet sections for melodically driven guitar work and more subdued vocals.

Highlights of this album include the remaining tracks, which were the most influential on ARP’s current sound. “When a Blind Man Cries” is the first true ARP ballad in the current definition, combining an exposed vocal performance and a serene overall atmosphere provided by the keyboards with some emotionally driven yet simple lead work. “Nasty Reputation” is cut from the mid-tempo 80s fold, but also possesses the simple riffing and rock glorifying lyrics that make for any live venue favorite.

But the one that really grabs the listener is the epic guitar driven track “Land of the Giants”, which is the blueprint for every long winded epic found on every release since its conception. Musically it bears the most similarity to “Gates of the Seven Seals” off the Oceans of Time LP, containing a similar elongated solo section with funky wah pedal work and some interesting background atmospheric devices. The part where the guitar starts riffing and the wind is blowing with the sound of water rushing up at a deserted beach draws a visual similar to a number of mythical places. The one that always appears to me when I listen is the one described in The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever: The Wounded Land, where the party of heroes discovers the ruined Giant city of Seasearch, where they discover the mummified body of a Giant killed thousands of years ago by the Raver Turiya Kinslaughterer. It’s not quite as moving as the atmosphere achieved on “Gate of the Seven Seals”, but it comes quite close.

If you liked “Oceans of Time”, “Between the Walls”, “Masquerade Ball”, or any of the mid 90s to current day ARP releases, this album will definitely give you and enjoyable listening experience. If you are not familiar with these releases, picture a brilliant marriage of the lyrical poetry of Ronnie Dio, the music of Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Yngwie Malmsteen and you’ll get the basic idea.