I have to say, that prior to getting Toby Hitchcock's new release Mercury's Down, that I didn't know who the guy was. I had heard his name on the AOR melodic rock sites, but never had heard the guy sing. If you are as clueless as I was, then you might be intrigued to know that Toby is the also the lead vocalist of AOR band Pride of Lions with Jim Peterik (Survivor). While Pride of Lions is on break, Toby teamed up with guitarist Erik Martensson (W.E.T. and Eclipse) for an album bearing his name, but seems to be more of Martensson's baby. Erik wrote, produced and played guitars on the record. Many critics are proclaiming this CD to be the melodic record of the year, so let's see what Mercury's Down has to offer.
Mecury's Down is a fine platter of melodic, hook driven rock which will keep the listener entertained throughout. The disk starts with the somewhat hard hitting This is the Moment, which is probably the heaviest tune on the record. It is an up-tempo rocker, that almost leads you to believe that the record could be a little heavier than it wound up being. It is a killer track that is full of melody with one hell of a catchy chorus. The next song Strong Enough is another up-tempo rocker, that has a total Journey vibe. Also containing a catchy chorus (common occurence on this one), this one is a little less heavy and more AOR. This track sounds like what we all wish Journey would sound like today. It reminds me of some of the heavier moments off of Raised on Radio (not that there wre many). The end of the tune also lends to a killer riff ala Neal Schon. Don't get me wrong, Hitchock sounds nothing like Steve Perry, but this song sounds like classic Journey. Actually, Toby kind of reminds me of Mark Free (ex-King Kobra, Unruly Child).
The rocking continues until the 4th track Let Go, which slows things down abit which takes away from the momentum of the first 3 tracks. Each following track was either a hit or miss, but fortunately there were more hits than misses. It was a nice mix of ballads and mid-tempo rockers with a heavy dose of Journey influence. It was funny because the track Just Say Good Bye almost has me start singing Don't Stop Believin'. True story. Killer track, nonetheless. My real knock of the CD is that some of the tracks got a little too syrupy for me, but the strength of the heavier tracks, more than make up for the sugar rush. The track Tear Down the Barricades is the track that sold me on this record. It is another one of the heavy ones, that is probably the most solid track on the CD. Killer riff a la Talisman, fueled by a big chorus. A really solid effort especially when things got a little heavier.
Bottom Line: A nice outing By Hitchcock, which will definitely warrant me checking out some of his previous material. This guy sang his ass off on this record. Same thing applies for Martensson, because this guy can rip. He is a good songwriter as well. I just thought that the CD got a little too happy for me, in places. This CD is a melodic rocker's wet dream come true. Ear candy for days.
Standout Tracks: This is the Moment, Strong Enough, Summer Nights in Cabo & How to Stop.
- Ragman needs to go to the dentist...