I can’t tell you how disappointed I am. On being alerted to the imminent presence of a new Jack Starr album I stepped to immediately and took the necessary steps to secure a copy. On receipt, I scanned the song titles, and one screamed off the page at me, luring me in like the proverbial Siren of Fable…
THE NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND EYES
Surely not, I thought, fingers trembling as I wiped away flecks of anticipatory saliva. A metallised version of Bobby Vee‘s chart busting 1962 hit? It’s what the world’s been waiting for, and in these increasingly troubled times we live in, I’d go so far as to suggest it’s what the world needs. Keen to assuage my curiosity, I pressed play.
Sadly it wasn’t to be, with Jack Starr’s track of the same name being frankly a pale imitation of what I’d hoped for. Bobby Vee it wasn’t. Solidity personified, gumby metal it was…
Still, there’s nowt wrong with ‘proper heavy metal’ – it’s what the fortunes of this web-based magazine were built on, after all, and if you like proper HM, then Out of The Darkness II will certainly be able to keep you warm as our southern hemisphere nights continue to lengthen. Jack Starr, the eponymous hero of OOTD, is shockingly now in his mid seventies, but he plays with the energy and verve of a man ooh, two thirds that age, wrenching out his trademark neoclassical licks and Eastern-tinged chord progressions to the certain delight of anyone with a denim jacket who comes into earshot. Sahara Winds is a pleasing Rainbow-meets-Zeppelin epic, whilst Rise Up sounds like something Manowar might have considered in the early nineties, and both of them will be keeping Sentinel Daily‘s neighbours on their toes for the next couple of weeks. Starr is one of US power metal’s great figures, and he underlines his stature repeatedly throughout.
Whilst Out of the Darkness I isn’t quite as monolithic as number I, released waaaay back in 1984 and featuring Rods rhythm section Carl Canedy and Gary Bordonaro, it does have it’s moments and, as ever, it’s always great when one of heavy metal’s heroes steps out to remind the world just why we loved them so much in the first place. Songs like Soulkeeper and bonus track Savage At The Gate do just that, and make this album a keeper if you’ve ever enjoyed the man’s work in the past.
Out of The Darkness II releases on April 25th.
Cool review, not quite mid seventies ,I am still early seventies for another 2 years lol but I appreciate the things that were said and yes I like the Bobby Vee song ,it was one of my older brother’s favorites ,the funny thing is I had forgotten about that song until your review reminded me of it so thanks for that and PS now that I remembered Bobby Vee , I really liked this other song he did ‘Take Good Care of My Baby” I think that one was his number one favorite so me being the younger brother I was forced to hear it countless times because he had the record player lol