10th studio album from ex-DEEP PURPLE frontman and his band.
Even though they were a global chart-topping, hit-making machine less than
ten years prior, David Coverdale came up empty when he tried to find a
U.S.-based record company to issue the group's 1997 release, "Restless Heart" (available
Stateside only as an import). To Coverdale's credit, he did not attempt to give
WHITESNAKE a modern-day makeover (which so many pop-metal bands of the late '80s
did post-NIRVANA, and failed miserably), as he follows in the same melodic rock
mold of WHITESNAKE's previous two releases, 1987's "Whitesnake" and 1989's "Slip
of the Tongue". Unlike the late-'80s edition of WHITESNAKE (which included Steve
Vai, Tommy Aldridge, etc.), the new version is not a showcase for rock's most
renowned hired guns. In addition to Coverdale, the only holdover from the
group's previous album is guitarist Adrian Vandenberg, who finally gets the
chance to appear on a full-length WHITESNAKE recording (after several close
calls on the aforementioned releases). Instead of walloping listeners over the
skull with an album opening rocker, Coverdale kicks things off on a mellow note,
with the bluesy ballad 'Don't Fade Away', but harder-edged material soon follows,
including the riff-rocking title track, and 'Crying', which shows the singer's
Zeppelin fixation remains. The times may have changed, but David Coverdale is
content with his old sound -- and longtime WHITESNAKEfans will be pleased. (AMG
Review)
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