Kane Roberts - The New Normal

Kane Roberts is best known for being Alice Cooper's muscled guitarist and playing and composing on Constrictor (1986) and Raise Your Fist And Yell (1987). It allowed Alice to come back to the forefront, both on the record and on the stage. In 1991, Kane Roberts released Saints & Sinners, a sublime solo album with many brilliant titles.

In early 2019, the American guitarist released his sixth solo album, entitled The New Normal. This is an ambitious album on which Kane has prestigious guests: Alice Cooper, Nita Strauss (Alice Cooper guitarist), Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy singer), Kip Winger, Ken Mary, Lzzy Hale (Halestorm) , Brent Smith (Shinedown), these last two composing on some titles.

King of The World features Nita Strauss on guitar and Kip Winger on bass. The title begins slowly before the guitars explode. King of The World uses several tempos but the melodic side always wins. And what a solo by Lady Strauss! A title that does not leave indifferent. Wonderful is more violent, bitter, with a heady chorus. Acoustic guitars then an incendiary solo.

Now place to the master. Alice Cooper comes to put his recognizable voice among thousands on the very metallic Beginning of The End. Alissa White-Gluz is also here. We are even at the gates of death metal with throat singing. A title that will become essential as you listen. Headphones on both ears of course. And always a solo of a rare technical complexity on the end.

Obscure. Delicate. It is the splendid and refined Who We Are with modern sounds. Many listenings will allow you to better understand all the arrangements. Who We Are is co-sung with Katt Franich, who has the particularity to have this fragile voice and that we like at first listen. Forever Out of Place is a mid tempo, very pleasant to listen to, the acoustic intro of the most harmonious. Kane Roberts sings well and he proves his full application in his project. A really seductive piece.

Leave This World Behind also offers several tempos, blithely moving from softness to hard rock, quick and fast. An effective title despite its changing rhythms. It's Lzzy Hale (Halestorm) who co-composed The Lion's Share ballad, which you will remember for a long time and listen to again and again. A modern sound, again and always. And a solo that comes out and goes back as it came. A beautiful title.

Leave Me In The Dark is dark, biting, rigorous, from melodic to violent metal. Nevertheless bewitching. Above And Beyond is a successful track, also featuring contemporary sounds and complex guitar arrangements. Wrong, the last title of The New Normal is dark, made of darkness but also of light. Heavy drums and thick guitars come lighten keyboards programming. And a solo that flies superbly.

Yes, it is an album that deserves several listenings, but that deserves it largely because Kane Roberts is a magnificent guitarist, doubled of a talented composer and touching at the same time. Note that this album was released on the excellent Italian label Frontiers Music.

Tracklisting:
01. King Of The World (feat. Nita Strauss)
02. Wonderful
03. Beginning Of The End (feat. Alice Cooper, Alissa White-Gluz, Aoyama Hideki, Kip Winger)
04. Who We Are (feat. Katt Franich)
05. Forever Out Of Place (feat. Kip Winger)
06. Leave This World Behind
07. The Lion’s Share (feat. Kip Winger)
08. Leave Me In The Dark
09. Above And Beyond (feat. Kip Winger)
10. Wrong

Musicians:
Kane Roberts – chant, guitare, basse
Alice Cooper – chant
Alissa White-Gluz – chant
Katt Franich – chant
Evan Magness – guitare
Nita Strauss – guitare
Scot Lang – claviers
Paul Taylor – claviers
Alex Track – claviers, batterie
Kip Winger – basse, choeurs
Ed Modigliani – basse
Johnny 5 – basse
Betty Has Eyes – basse
Ken Mary – batterie
Christopher Tisi – batterie
Aoyama Hideki – batterie
David Balfour – choeurs