Label: self-released
Release date: March 1st, 2020
Website: www.roncoolen.rocks
Dutch axeman RON COOLEN hails back with his first solo entitled “Rise”. The album is very well done in terms of composing, musicianship and production – but with a bit of an undefined target group. It locates somewhere in between KINGDOM COME, CONSORTIUM PROJECT and TESTAMENT. Sounds weird? It is weird! And certainly needs some openness by the listener but it’s an interesting and exciting release.
“Rise” offers a lot of guest musicians including Keith St. John (KINGDOM COME, MONTROSE, BURNING RAIN, LYNCH MOB) who sings on most tracks – and these are the highlights for me. Really great stuff which immediately brings his other current and former bands back to mind. The opener “Big Devil Data” is one of these tracks and also features Thorsten Koehne (EDEN’S CURSE) as guest with a guitar solo. COOLEN himself handled all guitars, bass, keyboards and drums – so, it does not come by surprise that most guests here are singers. Göran Edman (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN etc) really shines on the track “Selfishness”. George Lynch (DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB) himself guests on lead guitar solos on “Sin City”. On the other hand, there some progressive, partly neo-classical and instrumental parts on the album and heavier, even thrashy tracks which include more guests like Christopher Amott (ARCH ENEMY) for example. The male growling parts towards the end of the release may not really suit every hard rock fan, though.
This CD is only available directly from Ron Coolen’s website and digitally as well. 1$ for each sold CD will be donated to JASON BECKER who suffers from a terrible disease. Ron himself says about this album: “I have lived my dream in creating this album, I have given everything I have.” We add: “Hats off, very well done!”
7,5/10
Birgitt Schwanke
Track list:
- Big devil data
- White Summer
- Too late to surrender
- Sin City
- Gotta shoot your devils down
- Ashes to Ashes
- Paradise
- Kill Kill Kill
- Rise
- Stories
- From your mouth
- Selfishness
