Dante Fox - Under the Seven Skies
CD Info
2007
Frontiers Records
10 Tracks
English lyrics
I’ve always had a thing for 80’s music. Ever since getting into music I’d always love to hear those cheesy 80’s rock bands—even the 80’s pop sounded great to me! So it’s no surprise I took right to Dante Fox. This band was actually formed in 1989, though they didn’t start releasing albums until 1996. Under the Seven Skies is actually only the third album the band has released to date. The style, as almost everyone has guessed by now, is AOR Melodic Rock.
Sue Willets provides the vocals on this album—and this woman is definitely a powerhouse. From the opening number you can tell the woman can really pack a punch. She’s a bit like Anne Wilson of Heart, but pitched much higher. The one complaint I have about the vocals is the fact that they are a bit hard on the ears after the while. The majority of the vocals are being belted out almost all of the time—it’s hard to listen to after about a half hour. Also, the piano on this album are very well done—it’s just a shame that it’s not utilized more!
Unlike a lot of records, there isn’t a standout song on this album—they’re all pretty much on the same level. It’s refreshing to hear an album that’s consistent from beginning to end. The songs are all mostly upbeat and rocking with endless hooks abound. You’ll be humming these tunes for a while! The last track, the title track, actually clocks in at nine minutes. I feel it’s well done—I don’t find myself bored throughout any of the song surprisingly.
If anyone is into 80’s sounding music or just AOR in general, I would recommend this album to you. Hopefully in the next release Sue Willets will use more of her head voice to give the vocals some diversity—as well as not making it as hard on the ears.
8 / 10
