Artist: The Lou Gramm Band
   Title: The Lou Gramm Band
   Label: Frontiers Records

As one of the most recognized names in rock Lou Gramm has always produced high quality releases.  Whether its with those days with Foreigner or his solo albums like ‘Ready Or Not’ and his Shadow King album, there has always been an air of quality about them and this album cements a whole fresh chapter in his life with The Lou Gramm Band.

Gramm's life has had more than its fair share of turbulent times, in 1997 he was diagnosed with a brain tumour, but the surgery went well and he returned to Foreigner, only to loose both his parents in 2003.

Following the death of his parents Gramm fulfilled their wish that he would perform with his brothers and now both Ben and Richard, as well as Andy Knoll on keyboards and Don Mancuso on guitars, complete the bands line-up.  The band have actually been together since 2004 and have been touring and playing songs from Gramm’s thirty year career.  However now in 2009 the band have put together and released their very first album of new original material.

The album itself finds Gramm at his vocal best, as always his vocal style is so smooth and really shines on this new album.    The album opens up with ‘Baptized By Fire’ and instantly Gramm makes his mark with this superb opener and it just goes to show, you can't keep a good vocalist down.

The album is without a doubt a Christian Rock album and is the best I’ve heard for a long while.  The album continues it's path with ‘Made To Be Broken’.  Again a great rock track with some fine guitar work by Mancuso and a great back beat by the Gramm's brothers Ben on drums and Richard on bass.

The top notch rock continues with ‘Willing To Forgive’ and the great ballad ‘That’s The Way God Planned It’.  Who said the devil has all the best tunes?  Gramm proves that particular saying wrong, as the top notch mid tempo rockers ‘So Great’ and ‘Rattle Your Bones’ prove.

This might be deemed a Christian Rock album by some, but to me it's just a great Melodic Rock album and one that's well worthy of the Lou Gramm name.

Tracklisting:

1.  Baptized By Fire
2.  Made To Be Broken
3.  Willing To Forgive
4.  That's The Way God Planned It
5. (I Wanna) Testify
6.  So Great
7.  Redeemer
8. Single Vision
9.  Rattle Yer Bones
10.You Saved Me 

                  

 

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