Onward - Reawaken

I grew up on a hefty diet of 80s rock. Def Leppard was the band that changed my life, when I was about 12 years old, and they remain my all-time favorite band today. Because of this I am a sucker for great hooks, no matter the genre. Obviously some styles are beyond my taste range, but I still appreciate a solid hook, whether it's on some horrible (but catchy) pop song or an epic 80s rock gem. Onward is a band that satisfies my love of "the hook."

Reawaken is the band's second release. I personally feel that this is a far superior album to thier excellent debut, Evermoving. Onward's brand of metal is old school heavy metal bordering on power metal, but there's a solid rock (as in music, of course) foundation just beneath the surface. Songs like "The Seven Tides of Labyrinthine" and "Night" have that rock groove (think Dio) and catchy-as-hell chorus. The ultimate combination for my ears! Others share the same attributes, and those that are more balls-out heavy metal still showcase some downright impressive songwriting.

Onward leave a lot off the table in terms of originality, but what they lack in that department they make up for tenfold with outstanding songs.

Audio: The Seven Tides of Labyrinthine
Audio: Reawaken

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/knapptoby (guitarist Toby Knapp's page)

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