Back in 2016, TOWER from New York presented their self-titled debut and gained attention with their rock & roll-ish heavy metal attitude and the vocals of Sarabeth Linden which resembled a mixture of CHASTAIN’s Leather Leone and Christine Davis (the former singer of CHRISTIAN MISTRESS). That album gave off true rock & roll energy, but the compositions could use some more catchy melodies in order to sweeten a bit the listener from the street-like, hard & heavy attack that could be tiring for the entire album.
In their second attempt, Shock to the System, TOWER present a more mature and complete album, where besides the speedy heavy metal songs, there are plenty of moments that are not characterized by the street attitude/sound of the band, but present the melodic aspect of the quintet as well. However, their speedy heavy metal tracks are better than those in their first album, and it seems that the band has worked carefully and in detail in order to present better material.
The opening track “Blood Moon” is the speediest song of the band until now, and wins over the listener with its frenetic rhythm. Great song full of energy. But if the entire album was like that it would be exhausting. “Prince of Darkness” that follows, is a very beautiful, melodic, mid-tempo song, very different from the style of the first album, and it is one of the best tracks of the band. The fans of classic heavy metal and bands like CHASTAIN will be thrilled.
There are two more songs in this style and are also amongst the best moments of the album. “Lay Down the Law” is a very intense classic heavy metal song with great melodies and great chorus, and probably will be the hit of the band in the years to come. The other song is “On the Line”. Great traditional, catchy heavy metal, like you’re listening to a hidden gem from the 80’s.
The rest of the songs follow the spirit of the first album, which means that someone will listen something like “a dirtier version of CHASTAIN” or “a speedier version of CHRISTIAN MISTRESS”. Not bad songs (especially “The Black Rose”), but the previous mid-tempo classic heavy metal songs offer more to the band. So, in general, we could safely say that Shock to the System is a dynamic album which guarantees good times for party hard-rockers who like fast songs, as well as to those who prefer traditional heavy metal melodies.
