ARCHANGE – Flashback

Flashback, the title of the debut album from French band Archange, almost certainly refers less to the title cut as it does the sound the band evokes, a faithful mixture of Dokken, eighties-era Scorpions, Kix, and hair-heavy contemporaries of those bands. The song titles sound as familiar as the music does  to anyone with more than a passing interest in Metal-inflected music of the seventies and eighties: “Walk All Over You” (AC/DC), Gimme Your Love” (Black ‘n Blue), “Don’t Turn Your Back” (Blue Oyster Cult). Okay, so Archange are not master wordsmiths.

The songs are originals, at least, and Hair Metal isn’t typically one of the alloys known for the depth and breadth of its lyrical material, so all can be forgiven if the songs are good. And the opening songs on Flashback are quite good, and the second track and lead single “Live Forever”, a catchy tune drive by an anthemic chorus, might even be great. First cut “Walk All Over You” is also solid, and “Gimme Your Love” has a pleasing Warren DeMartini-esque shape. “Rock Non-Stop”, perhaps the most blatantly hairy song, is pretty much the chorus repeated over and over again with a blistering guitar solo tacked on the end–but it does, in fact, rock non-stop.

The songs that follow are well executed, but lack the punch and accessibility of the earlier tracks. Throughout the album, the listener gets the sense that they’ve heard it all before—but in Metal that sensation isn’t always a bad thing. Flashback is well-named, and taps memories pleasant enough to revisit.

TUNE INTO METALEXPRESSRADIO.COM at NOON & MIDNIGHT (EST) / 6:00 & 18:00 (CET) TO HEAR THE BEST TRACKS FROM THIS UPCOMING RELEASE!!!