By DJ Monk
‘Begin Again’ is something of an appropriate titled for this, the third album from Italian hard rockers Wheels Of Fire. Why? Well, it has been seven years since the release of their last opus, ‘Up For Anything’, and therefore it could be argued that this is very much a new start for the band, with three new members joining the core creative duo of Davide Barbieri and Stefano Zeni.
To be honest, ‘Begin Again’ does exactly what it says on the tin (or the cover sticker): it is a collection of 11 (12 if you count the “European bonus track”, ‘Wheels Of Fire’) solid melodic hard rock songs that are well-crafted, thoughtfully produced and beautifully presented, with the emphasis on big melodies and even bigger choruses. It brings nothing new to the genre’s table, but what it does serve up is satisfying in its own right, and there are some truly lip-smacking moments which will have you possibly seeking seconds, such as the anthemic ‘Lift Me Up’, the cheesy but impressive ‘Done For The Day’, the thumping ‘Heart Of Stone’, the catchy, ‘Ultimate Sin’-era Ozzy-esque ‘Another Step In The Dark’ and the only ballad that actually works, ‘Call My Name’, which would give a certain JBJ a real run for his millions. By the same token, there are some genuinely cringeworthy moments, such as the inane Europap of ‘For You’, which genuinely had me reaching for the skip button after just over a minute!
Zeni is a decent guitarist, who knows when to lay down some crunch before taking off into the stratosphere with solos which, by and large, are surprisingly restrained in their shredding, very much working within the contexts of the songs which contain them, resisting the temptation to let his ability overwhelm what else is going on around him. Barbieri – or ‘Dave Rox’ as he prefers to be known – also has a good voice which matches the material well: he has a good range which is captured well by the very sympathetic production (although I’m hoping that the sudden change in volume in the latter half of ‘Lift Me Up’ is a pressing glitch on the promo copy sent to ÜRHQ).
If you are one of those legions of fans mourning the loss of the Rockingham festival, then ‘Begin Again’ certainly will provide you with an invaluable fix of melodic hard rock to keep you bopping through what remains of the summer months.
- ‘Begin Again’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
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