Lane, Lana: Lady Macbeth

Casual listeners could pop in a Lana Lane CD, push play and think they were listening to either a Lana Lane CD or a long-lost Heart album. Seasoned listeners, on the other hand, are able to detect subtle differences in Lane's distinct sound - think Ann Wilson meets Ayreon - from album to album. Take Lady Macbeth, for example, the eighth traditional studio album from the California-based mystical mistress of symphonic rock. A concept album based on Lane's interpretation of William Shakespeare's "Macbeth," the disc tells the tale from the perspective of the famously sinister Lady Macbeth, one of literature's darkest female figures.

Returning once again with a roster of intricately skilled musicians, including husband/producer Erik Norlander on keyboards; Don Schiff and Pain of Salvation's Kristoffer Gildenlöw on bass; guitarists Mark McCrite, Neil Citron and Peer Verschuren; and journeyman vocalist Kelly Keeling singing harmony. Much of Lady Macbeth is bathed n mid-tempo, aurally palatable songs ("Someone to Believe," "No Tomorrow") and perhaps too many ballads ("Shine On Golden Sun," "We Had the World," "Our Time Now"). But "Keeper of the Flame" and "Summon the Devil" will grab you by the horns as two of the heaviest and/or darkest songs Lane has ever recorded. All but one of the 10 tracks here is kept to shorter than six-and-a-half minutes, meaning that the only opportunity Lane and Norlander have to stretch Lady Macbeth to epic proportions is on the leadoff song, "The Dream That Never Ends." The eight-minute song emerges as a dramatic and stunning piece that sums up the ambition of Lady Macbeth - both the character and the album.

Despite hesitating to veer to far from the musical formula that has brought Lana Lane startling success as an independent artist during the past decade in a genre ignored by the American mainstream, producer Norlander still manages to make every Lana Lane record sound a bit different from the previous one. And although the diversity of 2003's jazz-inflected Winter Sessions and 2002's accessible Project Shangri-La will be tough to top, Lady Macbeth continues to reveal Lane's layers and lives up to the high standard fans have come to expect: Soaring and majestic music, stellar performances and classy artwork. This is what symphonic rock is all about.

Track Listing:
1) The Dream That Never Ends
2) Someone to Believe
3) Our Time Now
4) Summon the Devil
5) No Tomorrow
6) Shine On Golden Sun
7) The Vision
8) Keeper of the Flame
9) We Had the World
10) Dunsinane Walls
Bonus Video: Someone to Believe

Added: June 22nd 2005
Reviewer: Michael Popke
Score:
Related Link: Think Tank Media
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Language: english

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