Veteran US vocalist Paul Shortino returns with latest album Chasing My Dream, released via Metal Heaven at the end of June. Shortino started out with Rough Cutt who made their mark in the mid-80's with Wants You, an album that saw them touring arenas globally in support of Dio, before seizing the opportunity to replace Kevin DuBrow in Quiet Riot for one self-titled release. Since this time Shortino has largely worked under his own name and Chasing My Dream is produced by Michael Voss (Casanova, MSG, Bonfire) who also contributes guitars.
The bottom line here is an album of generic melodic hard rock which deviates throughout between some harder edged numbers ('Nocturnal') and softer ballads ('Missing', 'Promises'). Each song is very much a showcase for Shortino's characteristic vocal and this is very much a vocalists album with the musical contributions being solid yet unspectacular. Shortino's delivery is Coverdale-esque blues and seems better suited to the slower numbers, the haunting acoustic led ballad 'Missing' and the mid-tempo 'Remember You' being the two genuine highlights. Elsewhere, what the material is really lacking is strong and memorable choruses that are pretty much a pre-requisite for this genre and if it wasn't for Shortino's soulful vocal the likes of 'Alone They Ride' and 'Great Dreamer' would be largely forgettable. The lightweight 'Take my Heart and Run' is a cover of an old Bonfire song and had this structure been used as the blueprint for the rest of the material it might have yielded better results.
Track Listing
1.Remember You
2.To The Cross
3.Prelude Missing
4.Missing
5.Nocturnal
6.Side FX
7.Alone They Ride
8.Chasing Your Dream
9.Great Dreamer
10.Take My Heart And Run
11.Promises
12.Plan Of Attack
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