Legendary hard rock vocalist Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow, Deep Purple, Fandango, Yngwie Malmsteen) put together the Sunstorm project for Frontiers Records back in 2006, and twelve years and five albums later we see things are still going strong for this outfit that also features DGM guitarist Simone Mularoni, keyboards & production from Hardline's Alessandro Del Vecchio, bassist Nik Mazzucconi, and drummer Edo Sala. Falling closely in line with the heavier sounds of their previous release Edge of Tomorrow, Road to Hell rocks quite hard, and shows the singer in very fine form.
In fact, it's that last statement that really is the key to Road to Hell, as the rumors of Turner's diminished vocal abilities in recent years seem just that, rumors, as he's singing better here than anyone has heard him in years. Opening tracks "Only the Good Will Survive" and the title cut are meaty heavy rock tunes with plenty of soaring Turner vocals, sounding more lethal than ever with a tone that isn't far removed from Norwegian heavyweight Jorn Lande. "One the Edge" is melodic rock at it's finest, with some scorching Mularoni guitar acrobatics, and there are some fine guitar & keyboard tradeoffs on the catchy yet heavy "Blind the Sky". Del Vecchio's gorgeous keys play a big part on the engaging "Eyes on You", a tune that also features some tight rhythms, a great vocal hook, and mounds of crunchy guitar riffs. Other highlights include the very '80s sounding "Calling", the groove laden heavy rocker "State of the Heart", and the 'Journey on steroids' styled rocker "Still Fighting", another track with a great vocal performance from JLT.
To be honest, I was surprised at just how good Road to Hell really is, not only with Turner's vocal performance, but also how tight the band are and the quality of the songs. Pretty damn heavy melodic rock with a classic sound, Sunstorm have delivered a hell of an album here, and it's proof positive that Joe Lynn Turner still has plenty of gas left in the tank.
Track Listing
- Only The Good Will Survive
- The Road To Hell
- On The Edge
- Blind The Sky
- Eyes On You
- Future To Come
- Everywhere
- Resurrection
- Calling
- State Of The Heart
- Still Fighting
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