Company: AOR Heaven Release: 2011 Genre: Hard Rock Reviewer: EC
Tons...of melodic riffs
This band always seemed misplaced in the grand scheme of things. Europe is such a rich land of promise and opportunity for a band like Outloud but hailing from Greece just puts them too far from the Swiss and Swede crowd that eat this stuff up. The band make up a great melodic rock sound in the vein of Night Ranger and Boston, a far cry from the traditional metal landscape of Greece. Regardless "Love Catastrophe" will find its audience just like the group's critically acclaimed debut did. AOR Heaven has their hands on it and always does a superb job marketing the big push and fighting for the rock (similar to Frontiers). This sophomore effort sounds perfect courtesy of Tommy Hansen's treatment of Bob Katsionis' production. Cuts like "Clean Hands" and "Give Again" are quick paced vehicles of driving melody with motivational lyrics, all cleanly woven around tons...and I do mean tons...of melodic riffs. A modern tendency seems to permeate with emotional cuts like "Isolation Game" and "The Night That Never Ends". I love the vinyl crisp of the throwback romp "We Came To Rock". Overall this is going to be crowd pleasing to anyone within hearing distance. I can't help but think of bubble gum, tight short-shorts and roller skates though.
