RED ROSE - On The Cusp Of Change (2013)

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RED ROSE greatly surprised us with their debut album last year.
"On The Cusp Of Change" is the act number 2 for this Israeli band and this time they took things one step further.

The group combines melodic hard rock, prog and even a touch of pomp throwed in. There's quite much diversity on this album, from melodic parts to more harder atmospheric ones, then a bit proggy, back to mellow & pomp features.
One thing is for sure, you won't get bored while listening to this record.
As the first CD, "On The Cusp Of Change" was once again produced by the skillful Tommy Hansen (Pretty Maids, Helloween, Jorn Lande) at Jailhouse Studios in Denmark, with extraordinary Matan Shmuely - of Orphaned Land fame - sitting behind the drums and the rest of the band laying down an astonishing performance on every possible level.
The band's instrumentation is mainly sustained by complete axeman Elnur Aliev perfectly complemented by massive keyboards infusions on all tracks effectively emphasizing the melodic lines, making the experience more intriguing while also bringing greater definition to the songwriting.
Singer Leve Laitner has a good range and wisely regulates his intensity providing to the calmer moments a distinctive touch. His nice vocal colour is comparable to a younger Scorpions' Klaus Meine and Stryper's Michael Sweet.

Curiously, Red Rose begins the album with their longest song, "When Roses Faded", and you get your first sense of their expansion into melodic rock / prog / hard rock. Later in this vein comes the quite epic "Original Sin" and the strong "This Bitter World" where some prog-metal overtones can be heard.
Alternatively, other songs smack of that past melodic hard rock groove - only with a more hard rockin' tone - like the catchy melodic hard rocker "Chasing Freedom" (which reminds me Germans Domain) and especially "King of the Local Crowd" featuring vintage pompy keys and some Pretty Maids influence.
Red Rose offers two elaborated ballads with the Scorpions influenced "Alone in the Night" and the closing "Seize the Day" with an AOR flavor written all over.

Red Rose has expanded their sonic boundaries with "On The Cusp Of Change", a varied yet homogeneous second offering that will please all audiences.
Certainly, any Melodic Rock / Prog / Hard Rock listener will find here enjoyable sounds plenty of good melodies constructed by strong guitars, tons of keys (vintage and modern) and the insertion of kindly grounded lyrics.
Widely Recommended.



Leve Laiter - Vocals
Elnur Aliev - Guitars
Deion Kristen - Keyboards
Eli Reeve - Bass
Matan Shmuely - Drums


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www.amazon.com/On-Cusp-Change-Red-Rose/dp/B00B4JIVMK