Artist: Place Vendome  
   Title: Streets Of Fire
   Label: Frontiers Records

When Michael Kiske said goodbye to Helloween and self exiled himself from the whole rock scene, it made a lot of people in the business shudder to consider one of the best voices in rock would never be heard again.
But Kiske set about a solo career with a definite change in direction and a more melodic path was set out. And with acclaimed performances on some of the finest rock opera’s around, notably his part in the fantastic Avantasia project ‘The Scarecrow’, the name of Kiske would not be lost.

With Frontiers Records President Serafino Perugino offering Kiske to be part of Melodic Rock oriented concept the seeds were sown for Place Vendome and when Kiske united with Dennis Ward, Kosta Zafiriou, Uwe Reitenauer and Gunther Werno, the resulting album once again put the name of Kiske where it so rightly deserves to be, at the top of list of Melodic Rock vocalists.  It also served to severe the ties to Heavy Metal as Kiske has now found a new niche for his formidable vocal talent and what Melodic Rock gains, so Heavy Metal losses.

The album opens up with the title track ‘Streets Of Fire’ and once again Kiske’s superb vocal makes it mark from the off, with some towering power that seems well at ease and never sounds pushed.  Together with Ward and Co. supplying some great musicianship, this track is a sure winner and just leaves you wanting more of the same.

And more you get in absolute bucket-loads as this tremendous album continues with ‘My Guardian Angel’, (a track penned by on Magnus Karlsson).  This is the first single off the album and a great haunting melody at that which simply flows majestically out of the speakers.

The warmth of Kiske’s vocals are felt on some quite superb ballads featured on this album, the first one note being ‘Completely Breathless’.  This is as far away from the Heavy Metal sound that Kiske used to be associated with and in this he has definitely found his  soul.  Any Melodic or AOR fans out there will be totally overwhelmed when they hear this album. 

For the down-to-earth rockers to the more mellow rock lovers, there’s plenty of depth on this album to suit all tastes, from the mid tempo feel of ‘Follow Me’ and the phenomenal ‘Set Me Free’, which has to be one of the best slices of Melodic Rock I’ve heard in ages.  Again Kiske is just superb, from the haunting keyboards to the powerful yet subtle rhythm section as the soaring guitars, this one has to be heard to be believed. 

For those of you who like a little up-tempo number then ‘Believer’, (One of four songs penned by Torsti Spoof of Leverage), is really gonna float your boat.  This song is top drawer once again.  I will say this a lot when describing this album, but every track really is a winner.  I can’t find fault with anything on it.
‘Valerie (The Truth Is In Your Eyes)’ is very much in the style of the 80’s American AOR bands, very much focused towards of the Journey fans, and another song that fits into that same spectrum is ‘A Scene In Reply’.  A great song from a great singer and that’s what Kiske is, forget the metal, this guy is a true singer in every sense of the word. 

The album goes from strength to strength as each track ends another track comes along and blows you away with songs like ‘Changes’, the more up-tempo ‘Surrender Your Soul’ and ‘Dancer’, satisfying the die hard of Melodic Rock fans out there. 

The album closes with ‘I’d Die For You’, a song that will really pull at those heart strings and although this album isn’t released until the 20^th February, this one is definitely a 14^th of February song, which rounds off one of the best albums you’ll hear this year and one that will put Kiske’s name in the spotlight where it deserves to be.  Stand aside Soto, Vaughn and Hugo, the king has returned to take back his crown.

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