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Dare: Calm Before the Storm 2

For the uninitiated, Calm Before The Storm 2 is Dare's seventh studio album. Originally released ten years ago in Europe alone, Darren Wharton (best known for his former/current tenure in Thin Lizzy) has since obtained the rights. The album has been completely re-recorded, and the new running order includes the previously unreleased tracks "Precious" and "Cold Wind Will Blow". The album is now exactly as Wharton always wanted it to be and a very fine album it is too. Richie Dews plays guitars whilst Kevin Whitehead handles the sticks and Paris Wharton features on guitar on three tracks.

The first thing to say about Calm Before the Storm 2 is that it sounds fabulous, it has a warm feeling to it despite having Dare's Celtic leanings well to the fore and we all know how cold it can be in those Celtic regions. Obviously one may well ask why the band have re-recorded an old album rather than producing a brand new one but that is a moot point as Calm Before the Storm 2 is what we have to digest – and very digestible it is too especially if you've never heard the original version.

If I had one criticism of the album it would be that it lacks oomph, there are times when I'd like the guitars to really wig out but that's just me and perhaps the laidback Celtic nature of songs such as "Someday" would be ruined by crashing guitars. Like Gary Hughes of TeN I'd suggest that Darren Wharton is a better songsmith than singer but when he can write songs of the calibre of "Calm Before The Storm" and "Precious" it is another moot point. Also, in a positive and possibly negative way I could very much see any number of the tracks from this record getting played on Radio Two here in the UK which would give Dare the kind of limelight they've long deserved. Go on pluggers, do your best.


Track Listing:
01. Walk On The Water
02. Someday
03. Calm Before The Storm
04. Crown Of Thorns
05. Precious
06. Silence Of Your Head
07. Rescue Me
08. Ashes
09. Rising Sun
10. Cold Wind Will Blow
11. Deliverance

Added: October 8th 2012
Reviewer: Simon Bray
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 2672
Language: english

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