Well, well! Has the misanthropic elder treading the firmament with bare feet finally heeded my pleas? Was it His almighty hand that sent old Chris to the store for strings, lured old man Bonnet (ex-RAINBOW) out of his hermit's burrow, and opened the doors of a major Hollywood studio for them? Were it His supremely harmonious thought-forms that dripped from the clouds as notes onto the maestros' music stands and transformed into such a vibrant alloy of thrash, melodic heavy, and classic rock? And was it not with His holiest blessing that one of the songs rightfully bears the title "Rock'n'Roll Heroes"? Verily so!
A stunning album! Hard-hitting, melodic, not without Malmsteen-esque shredding but never drowning in it. The guitar roars like a supersonic fighter jet at launch, shrieks and whoops like a tribe of African cannibals. The pensioner Bonnet pushes his vocal cords and human capabilities to the limit, demonstrating HOW they used to sing in the days of Ozzy — loud, wild, and with gusto!
Having ditched the sugary ballads, the musicians opted for the soul-shaking Perfect Crime and United We Stand. Every song is a number one, I'd stake my life on it. This is all ROCK 'N' ROLL! Essential listening!