And yet 6 years have passed! It’s incredible how fast time goes by since I very fondly remember Tom Keifer’s return with “The Way Life Goes” and the raving reviews he received in 2013. Of course someone would say: “well, six years is nothing compared to the fact that he hadn’t come up with a brand new studio album since 1994”! That is correct but that’s a whole different story and definitely this is not the place or time to open a detailed discussion about it.
The truth is that every time we hear Keifer singing new songs it’s a celebration of hard rock music! The unmistakable tone of his voice combined perfectly with the blues aesthetic and the hard rock outbursts create an explosive sonic cocktail. Personally, I am of the opinion that Keifer has not released a bad album. Yes, there aren’t many of these studio albums but it’s definitely worth noting. And “Rise” is no exception to the rule. Keifer may have opted for a more atmospheric approach this time with the blues dominating the pure-blooded hard rock moments but the compositions are very good and that’s what counts, really!
From the opening track “Touching The Divine” (definitely the album’s highlight), the deeply personal “The Death Of Me”, the second best track on the album called “Waiting On The Demons” to the utterly uplifting “All Amped Up” ”, Keifer presents a balanced album where the hard rock moments are really memorable and the ballads give off a distinct blues feeling. “Rise” shows very clearly the inner world of Keifer who writes some of his most personal lyrics and reveals how resilient and a powerful human being he is! “Rise” is absolutely one of the top hard rock releases of 2019.
Highlight: Once again, Keifer’s wife, Savannah, is Tom’s right hand as she lends a helping hand on almost all the compositions of the album.
