MARK SLAUGHTER – Halfway There

Mark Slaughter is best known as the voice behind Slaughter, but his new solo album, Halfway There, showcases other talents as a producer, engineer, song writer, and multi-instrumentalist. Slaughter swings for the bleachers attempting to score a hit song similar to Mötley Crüe’s “Home Sweet Home”.

In that respect, this album shares the same DNA as many Hard Rock albums of the mid to late ’80s. The album leads with one or two metallic riff rockers hooking you in, then descends into aspiring AOR ballads. Halfway There begins with “Hey You” and “Devoted”, a pair of well-written, catchy songs any Hard Rock fan will appreciate. They are both high energy, and recapture and modernize the late ’80s Hard Rock sound. Further into the album, “Conspiracy” pairs ominous guitar riffs with an equally doomy guitar tone. This song has potential but the chorus is flat and awkward in relation the rest of the song. “Turn It” also rises above average bringing much needed guitar punch and an Arena Rock chorus later in the album.

Regretfully, the spark, energy, and quality are missing in the rest of the album. The listener will hear a cringe-worthy chorus in “Supernatural” “…your love is like supernatural…”, echoes of Journey’s “Faithfully” in “Forevermore”, and orchestral elements similar to the Beatles “Strawberry Fields Forever” in “Disposable”.

Halfway There would be more appropriately titled A Third Of The Way There. Slaughter’s new album hit’s the mark at times with excellent uptempo Hard Rock songs, but falls short in its attempts to reclaim old school AOR glory.

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