Bon Jovi released a single last month. Let’s be honest, the thing was gash. It was awful.
In 1986, when I was coming up for 11, Bon Jovi were my world.
The point I am making here is people change, tastes change. Ask Kris Barras.
In many ways Barras and his band, sort of mirror this site. We hadn’t been going long when he sent his debut album. He’d opened for Stevie Nimmo (now in King King) and we’d liked him.
Since then, he’s been on a journey, and each one of his records has been more, for want of a better phrase, “rock”, to the point where the last one “Death Valley Paradise” had almost no blues on it at all.
“Halo Effect” is as different again, because not only does it have no blues on, it has no hint of “classic rock” either – which is sort of what the aforementioned King King went when they left the blues behind, they sound more like Thunder than Thunder do – no, this 11 songs is modern, polished, arena metal.
If you need a reference point here, think Shinedown, Alter Bridge, or a little closer to home Stone Broken or Those Damn Crows.
As soon as “Hourglass” hits, you kind of go, “right, cool, its this now is it?” and yes, it is. Massive hooks, bigger riffs. And that modern rumble to the drums.
“Unbreakable” is more Florence Black than Howlin’ Wolf, and I wouldn’t put it past “With You” to start moshpits at the gigs he’s playing next week.
“Savages” is a shining highlight in this Brave New World. Shinedown are probably trying to steal it as we speak, and they get a gold disc if they do.
A word too, for Barras’ guitar playing. He’s reborn. It’s totally different to what you’ve heard before from him, and when he spits “did you think I’d just give up?” in his rapid fire delivery in “Fall To Fly”, it seems to dare you to doubt him.
“Waste Away With Me” is full of indignation and if you scanned the tracklist like I did, and thought “Reflections” would be a ballad, then you’d be as wrong as me. It’s arena ready as it all is. But the hook “I won’t ever be the same” seems to have even greater resonance here, given the context.
“Secrets” could be on the new Feeder record with no problem at all, especially when it explodes into its chorus, and if “Landslide” is close as this gets to balladry, then its got its fists up in the air in defiance first.
“Fear Of Letting Go” – something KB clearly doesn’t have – is enormous sounding, and the last one, “Apocalypse” has so much energy that it might be the best thing here.
There’s a line on it too, when he sings “I was born to antagonise”, and you can’t help but smile. The blues purists are going to hate “Halo Effect” and I am willing to bet that Kris Barras cares not one jot.
Change happens: think of that gig in Manchester when the fella shouted “Judas” at Bob Dylan. What did Bob tell the band? “Play loud”.
There’s a folk club by us. We go there sometimes. No matter what the band, there’s always the same blokes that are there. One step away from a register of some kind, with a plastic bag to carry their vinyl in.
The point is, ruts are easy, and they’re unhealthy. That might be what Kris Barras thought, I dunno, but I’ll tell you this: I still love Bon Jovi’s old stuff, but it’d be boring if I still listened to it every day.
The best thing is the next thing. That’s why Kris Barras made “Halo Effect”.
Rating 8.5/10
