Whitesnake

Forevermore

Written by: TL on 29/05/2011 16:21:59

From something arguably light-weight, onto something definitely heavy-weight. And by heavy-weight I mean "Forevermore", the new album from hard-rock institution Whitesnake, who have eleven previous full lengths already under their belts. None of Rockfreaks' writers can claim close familiarity with any of those though, and in fact, what passes for a classic rock specialist around these parts (me) is someone who merely recognises the various mega hits by the bands that were rock's biggest prior to the 90's. In all honesty, many of us are so caught up in our pursuit of novelty, that we find it hard to keep track of the old-timers.

When a hot shot like me does eventually sit down and spend some time with "Forevermore" however, the experience leads to no regrets, because it is indeed an outright pleasure to listen to a band, to whom writing stuff that rocks is more a matter of habit than one that strains their creativity. Whitesnake may not have quite the same legend to their name, as does Guns N' Roses or Aerosmith, but their ability and integrity is entirely on the same level, whether they're crankin' out bluesy boogie-rockers or sappy power-ballads. I'd even say that once Deep Purple frontman David Coverdale is an impressive alternative to Axl Rose and Steven Tyler, because he seems much more versatile in his variation between deep and high singing.

The overall quality level on this new album is arguably as solid as a pillar of granite, but some choice cuts would include: "Love Will Set You Free", "Steal Your Heart Away", "Whipping Boy Blues", "Tell Me How" and "Forevermore", with the title track standing out the most, via a particularly atmospheric sound. Whitesnake's biggest problem, if you can call it that, is not with songwriting however. It is in the fact that they're not really in a position to amaze anyone anymore. People who pick up "Forevermore" know exactly what they're going to get, namely a further refinement of the style Whitesnake has been located in for the duration of their career. As such, if you're in a critical mood, you might find that some songs venture on slightly longer than they need to, and that ballads like "Easier Said Than Done", sound particularly dated and long-winded. These are but small observations, which are hardly of any consequence, because when we come down to the wire, "Forevermore" is a typical Whitesnake album, in the sense that it is potent and satisfying for their fans, even if it doesn't really push the band's boundaries much.

7

Download: Love Will Set You Free, Tell Me How, Forevermore
For The Fans Of: Guns N' Roses, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi
Listen: myspace.com/whitesnake

Release Date 28.03.2010
Frontiers Records

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