Tragik – Tainted (2017)

It is always gratifying to discover that there is another world away from so many launches via Frontiers and other major companies. If AOR Heaven delights us with great surprises from time to time along with Escape Music now it’s the turn of a small Dutch company called Rock Company.

They present us with a project that is less surprising, especially because of the sound they process on some subjects. It is an album that surprises for its musical variety and for some of its compositions such as the song Not Over You (Listen) with a programmed battery that could remind the disc themes of the 80s mixed with current guitars. No less surprising is the duration of the theme, almost ten minutes with all kinds of sound effects that despite its duration for nothing becomes heavy.

Nothing has to do with the issue with which they open the album, which is all a declaration of intentions. With Welcome Back they succeed in their long playing so that the listener can begin with a great impression this album.

The same happens with other cuts of the disc that with a duration more in agreement with this type of style make their listening much more enjoyable. It is the case of Can not Take it Back that returns the disc to the path of the most current Melodic Rock. The sound approaches the Danger Danger songs played by Paul Laine, for the vocal tone of his vocalist.

As I commented before there are topics that surprise because of their structure or their presentation. It is also the case of Into the Great Unknown where keyboards in the purest Sha-Boom style are in charge of surprising the listener who finds himself with a refrain well worked but that perhaps does not help the subject to end up being brilliant.

We have Bon Jovi sounds as in the song Face of Sorrow where they offer a good quality of composition and where the sound of Keep The Faith underlies throughout the song.

The album is well structured and offers very good moments of melodic rock, it is true that it has less successful themes that may hurt your listening but well, when you find wonders such as Til I See You Again or Regrets one can take for good listening This album, without waiting for anything, I found great moments of melodic rock.

Surely they still have to travel and must decide what style they want to show in future releases as in this flirt with certain styles or sounds that mislead the listener and get confused with what you can cause the opposite effect you are looking for. You can provoke with so many changes of sounds that the one who listens to the disc goes on over and over again the songs.
An album from which one can draw several interesting topics. Recommended.

1. Welcome Back (3:35)
2. Not Over You (Listen) (9:26)
3. Can’t Take it Back (3:09)
4. Into the Great Unknown (4:03)
5. Face of Sorrow (3:08)
6. Out of Nowhere (5:06)
7. ‘Til I See You Again (4:53)
8. Nobody’s There (6:08)
9. Regrets (4:33)
10. Tainted (3:39)
11. Heaven (8:34)
12. Harsh Reality (4:14)

All Songs Written by Phil Vincent Except #12, written by Phil Vincent

Band
Phil Vincent – All Vocals, Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Keyboards, Bass, Drums, (and Ultimate Drum Loops)
Damian D’Ercole – Lead & Rhythm Guitars
Dirk Phillips – Drums

With:
David Zychek-Guitars, Bass on #12
Mike Mason- Drums on #12
Vince O’Regan- Guitar solos on #3, #8

Produced, Mixed, Arranged by Phil Vincent
Mastered by Mercury
Mastering Recorded August-November 2017 at D’Ercole Studios
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