OK, I admit it. I was a fan of "When I'm With You", Sheriff's one big hit in the 80s. I was thrilled to hear the awesome vocals of Freddy Curci once again in Alias, who scored several moderate hits a few years later. To my dismay, Alias died a quick and merciless death during the rise of grunge, and I've gone a long time without any new Freddy Curci. Imagine how happy I was to hear he released a new CD (well, 2006) as the front man for an AOR band named "Zion". And to boot, the Zion project features other Alias members and Bob Marlette of The Storm.
Maybe I was expecting too much, but I was not enthralled by Zion. I should like it...nice thick guitars, traditional AOR sounds, Freddy still sounds great, etc. But the songs just lack the hooks and instantly memorable melodies that made me a fan of Alias. I've given the record more than its fair share of spins now, and it should not be this hard to like a CD. So as surprised as I am to say it, Zion just doesn't take me to any promised land.
But it is not a complete washout. "I'm Running Home" is a fine tune in the AOR ballad tradition. "The Sky Is Falling" is my favorite track of the bunch, with a big meaty chorus and upbeat rhythm driving the meaningful lyrics. Freddy sounds his best and hits some amazing notes. This one is followed by "The Devil's Dance", a terrific acoustic-driven mid-tempo rocker. Unfortunately, the upswing of the Zion pendulum quickly goes back in the negative direction and the CD fizzles out with a couple more duds.
I realize Freddy Curci released a number of solo CDs in-between Alias and Zion, but I've yet to check them out. Pretty expensive!
iPOD-worthy: 5, 8, 9
Freddy Curci on MySpace.
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