Jaded Heart - IV

Year of Release: 1999
Label: MTM Music
Catalog Number: 0681-04
Format: CD
Total Time: 66:33:00

Founded back in 1990, this is, as the title implies, the fourth Jaded Heart release. The band features the talented Michael Bormann (ex-Bonfire, Letter X, Sygnet, Rain) on vocals. This album is their first on MTM and also the first to be produced by Bobby Barth of Axe fame.

As always, Jaded Heart offer well crafted melodic heavy metal. A great mixture of guitar-catchy rockers and beautiful tear-jerking ballads. Opening track "Live And Let Die" is a monster of a song with huge guitars and one hell of a chorus. If that one doesn't hook you, you might as well give this CD up right away. This CD is filled to the core with great songs. The guitars are big and juicy, the solo-work is melodic, the bass is thick and very present and the drumming is solid and steady. Verses and choruses are blessed with melody. Bormann has from time to time been compared to Jon Bon Jovi and I can to some point agree to this, but Bormann can stand on his own feet. He has a great, mid-ranged, raspy, powerful and clear voice which is just made for this music, it doesn't get any better than this. Although most songs are straight melodic heavy rockers or ballads, there are a couple of tunes which has a strong blues influence to them, which enriches the variety of the CD. I also have to praise the production which is simply awesome, coming off huge and powerful, crisp and clear. All instruments are present and the bass-mix is perfect, which gives the extra depth and heaviness to the songs.

Jaded Heart's strength lies in the ability to write catchy accessible songs with awesome choruses. The problem with many melodic heavy releases is that they grow cold on you after some spins, but Jaded Heart have the strength of writing striking songs that grow on you for each spin. I highly recommend this album to all fans of the band and the melodic heavy genre. Jaded Heart has taken the step into the major league and lead the way, this is utterly professional.

[This review originally appeared November 2002 at the ProgPower Online review site; Aug 2009: MTM seems to have closed up shop -ed.

Tracklisting:
Live And Let Die (6:35) / Take My Soul (5:58) / Way Back Home (5:13) / Stonecold (4:59) / When You Hear The Thunder (5:20) / Ain't A Perfect World (4:56) / With Your Eyes (6:16) / But I Like It (4:59) / Hey God Don't Hesitate (5:14) / She's A Woman (6:46) / Behind Your Pride (5:21) / Easy Lover (4:57)

Musicians:
Michael Bormann - vocals
Michael Muller - bass
Axel Kruse - drums
Chris Ivo - keyboards
Baris Kepic - guitars<

Discography:
Inside Out (1994)
Slaves And Masters (199?)
Mystery Eyes (1998)
IV (1999)
Diary 1990-2000 (2001)
The Journey Will Never End (2002)
Trust (2004)
Helluva Time (2006)
Sinister Mind (2007)

Genre: Melodic Metal

Origin DE

Added: December 28th 2004
Reviewer: Bjørnar Bevolden
Score:
Artist website: www.jadedheart.de
Hits: 2676
Language: english