Band: Night Ranger (US) Genre: Hard Rock Label: Frontiers Records Albumtitle: High Road Duration: 51:29 Releasedate: 06.06.2014 It is already their 11th studio album and except of their rightly well known hit "Sister Christian" the name Night Ranger, actually for me in personal, is not emerged so often. Now the actual album "High Road" is available for me and I have to say that I have missed a lot. This very groovy and good mood spraying melodic Hard Rock of the band is coming over taht smashing that it is running directly into my veines. The opener and title track "High Road" directly animates to a drive with the car and to open the windows on a sunny day. A good time rocker where the keyboards and a soft guitar play harmonize very well crowned by a catchy chorus. Especially the really jiggy solo inside of the center section pleases me very much. In general the guitar play of God of strings Brad Gills (whose solo albums I would like to recommend here to check out) is very good. Cool hook lines, kick ass riffing and solos which are recorded with heart and soul just sex it up enormous. Exactly this "Feel-Good-Rock" line is being consequently retained on the whole album, what makes it very catchy. Especially cool rock songs like "Rollin' On" with its nearly Kiss like chorus, the more playful featured "X Generation" or the more hymnal "Hang On" have keened me and will make any upcoming summer day to a rocking experience. The voice of Jack Blades is sounding pleasant at any time and he is mastering the cool melodies very well and also inside of the quiet parts he is proving sufficient empathy. With the three ballad likely titles "Don't Live Here Anymore", "Only for you Only" and with that wonderful song "Brothers" there are always being interspersed small breaks whose quiet sounds never being appealed annoying. All three tracks are very nice to listen and even commands a little bit to being a hit, especially "Brothers" with its earworm chorus. The album is coming with two editions. A standard CD version with 11 tracks and a deluxe edition which contains besides two video clips ("High Road" and "Knock Knock Never Stop") also a making of to the album and a bonus track called "The Mountain Song" which was not available for this review. Conclusion: With "High Road" Night Ranger have a cool album at the start which arrange cheerfulness with first class Feel-Good Rock songs which invites to rock. For those who like bands like Foreigner or Asia mixed up with a more rocking sound like Winger or Damn Yankees can grab this LP regardless. Rating: 9/10 Recommendations: Rollin' On, Hang On, Brothers Weblink: http://nightranger.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/nightranger Metal Only e.V. Wolfgang Steiner Hohenstaufenstr. 56 D-73779 Deizisau [email protected] www.metal-only.de LineUp: Jack Blades – Bass Guitar, Vocals Kelly Keagy – Drums, Vocals Brad Gillis – Lead & Rhythm Guitars Joel Hoekstra - Lead & Rhythm Guitars Eric Levy - Keyboards Tracklist: 01. High Road 02. Knock Knock Never Stop 03. Rollin' On 04. Don't Live Here Anymore 05. I'm Coming Home 06. X Generation 07. Only For You Only 08. Hang On 09. St. Bartholomew 10. Brothers 11. L.A. No Name Author: Slaine / Translation: Matthias Metal Only e.V. Wolfgang Steiner Hohenstaufenstr. 56 D-73779 Deizisau [email protected] www.metal-only.de .