Music review: Tesla – 鈥橲hock鈥�
With 2014鈥檚 鈥淪implicity,鈥� Tesla鈥檚 last album was a solid offering of no-nonsense rock anthems with a few slower numbers added in for good measure.
Tesla鈥檚 no-frills approach of staying true to the same straightforward rock formula that served the California band so well and satisfied fans for nearly 30 years had the boys rocking as hard as they did back in the glory days of 1986鈥檚 鈥淢echanical Resonance鈥� and 1989鈥檚 鈥淭he Great Radio Controversy.鈥�
That being said, Tesla鈥檚 new release comes with a twist. The band still can rock the rafters. But with 鈥淪hock,鈥� the band finds inspiration for the new material from Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen, who handles the producing and co-writing duties to infuse a noticeable Def Leppard vibe.
The vintage Tesla sound is still intact. Only now it鈥檚 bolstered by infectious guitar riffs, booming backing vocals and lead singer Jeff Keith delivering some convincing Joe Elliot charisma with his spirited vocal performances on various tracks.
Full disclosure, I鈥檝e always been a huge Def Leppard fan so this album isn鈥檛 a shock (no pun intended) to me. In fact, it鈥檚 quickly becoming one of my favorite Tesla releases.
The band鈥檚 eighth studio album opens defiantly on 鈥淵ou Won鈥檛 Take Me Alive鈥� with Keith standing his ground when it comes to rock 鈥榥鈥� roll and daring anyone to stand in his way.
The Def Leppard influence is instantly heard on 鈥淭aste Like.鈥� This track is from the same mold of Def Leppard鈥檚 hit 鈥淧our Some Sugar on Me鈥� with Keith confessing, 鈥淚鈥檓 on a sugar rush/I need the candy crush.鈥�
As hard as the band rocks on arrangements like 鈥淭he Mission,鈥� 鈥淭ied to the Tracks鈥� and 鈥淚 Want Everything,鈥� a slower side is shown on a number of tender ballads.
鈥淲e Can Rule the World鈥� opens with piano before giving way to soaring orchestration, opening the door for Keith鈥檚 passionate vocals on this inspiring number about staying strong to your beliefs through actions that can have a lasting impact for generations to come.
鈥淟ove Is a Fire鈥� and 鈥淔orever Loving You鈥� are strong love ballads that set a romantic tone and allow listeners the opportunity to catch their breath for a few minutes.
The biggest surprise comes on 鈥淐alifornia Summer Song.鈥� The laid-back arrangement about basking in the summer sun without a care in the world brings to mind Kid Rock鈥檚 鈥淎ll Summer Long鈥� as Keith sings, 鈥淭ake me back to where I come from/Where the skies are blue and the sun is strong/Spend all day and all night long/When we drift away to this summer song.鈥�
Tesla鈥檚 latest offering certainly isn鈥檛 a shock. Instead, it鈥檚 a welcomed shot of adrenaline mixed with softer elements of the heart that just might have some fans stepping out of their comfort zone.
Clint Rhodes is the 缅北禁地 music reviewer. He can be reached at clinton43@me.com.