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Michael Bormann
(Jaded Heart, Rain, Zeno, Redrum,
Bloodbound, Charade) is back with
his 3rd solo album "Capture
The Moment", which follows
the footprints of its predecessor "Conspiracy",
one of the most critically acclaimed
releases of the year 2006. After
his departure (or should I say dismissal?)
from Jaded Heart, Bormann turned
to his personal career and the result
is proportionate to the effort. Blending
mid tempo (mostly) with up-tempo
songs, offering moments full of passion,
enjoying the privilege of having
a fantastic singer and some intimate
lyrics, then this release couldn’t
go wrong! His case often reminds
me of Kip Winger whose personal albums
are as much –if not more- tempting
as Winger themselves. After all Michael
Bormann actually was Jaded Heart.
Let me straighten out something; this is an album that will leave you with a
warm smile on your face from the first listen. Nothing novel indeed, but what
an exceptional vocalist Bormann is! He can transform a mediocre song into melodic
hard rock bliss. You want melodies, big choruses and big ballads in the US tradition?
You bet! Are you still undecided? Add the rich production (one of the best this
year so far) and the duet with Sonja Rippelmeier on "Don’t Bother
Me" for the icing on the cake. Again, this is not a breaking new grounds
masterpiece nor a glorious achievement (often reviewers take delight in such
headings), however it shows how emotional and true rock can be, when it goes
back to its course. Bormann’s music is unaffected by the curse of grunge,
hip-hop and hardcore, a curse that has brought much to many -either musicians
or listeners- to ruin. Personally, I’ll always support and look up to whoever
remains faithful to what he loves and knows best, without trying to feel acceptable
by any ignorant "seeker" of the next hype.
In conclusion, if there were included more up-tempo tracks, the overall rating
would have been higher. Nevertheless, "Capture The Moment" is worthy
of your attention and esteem. In fact, this is how Bon Jovi or White Lion would
sound like nowadays, if only they still had that sparkle.
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