I’ve been listening to LILLIAN AXE more years than I care to remember at this point. I’ve always told anyone who will listen that these guys weren’t your average “Hair Band”, in fact if they had come out in another time and place they would have been more of a Heavy Prog band thanks to the neo-classical guitar styles of Steve Blaze and their amazing vocal harmonizing and melodies.
Their album “Psychoschizophrenia” charted in 1993 during the Grunge days. They lasted longer than most of the band from that era because the labels obviously saw value and talent in having them signed. Even “Poetic Justice” in 1992 did decent considering the changing landscape.
After the band finally were dropped from the label singer Ron Taylor moved on. Since then they’ve put out some albums with a variety of different lineups. Brent Graham is the current singer and from what I’ve heard from this first track “Signs Of Absinthe” he’s not a Ron Taylor clone, but he seems to really get what the band is about.
This is probably the first time since “Psychoschizophrenia” that the band has sounded like the should, with a big sounding production, amazing writing and vocals that are melodic and haunting. This is much more serious side to the band versus some of their early material. It might have been a song you’d hear on “Poetic Justice” perhaps, but I personally think it’s closer to Progressive Metal than hard rock.
And Metal isn’t a stretch for Steve Blaze, one could argue he was a classically trained Metal guitarist playing in an 80’s Hard Rock band. He’s the backbone, the rock, the one consistent of the band. I was a HUGE fan of Ron Taylor too, the combination was magical. However, I will go on record saying Brent Graham seems to really have the style to fit the band and I’m really looking forward to hearing the entire album “Womb From The Tomb”.
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