Metal Underground.com

Traveling the road from hard rock to extreme metal has many twists and turns. If you picture AOR rock to the left and extreme metal to the right (no political insinuation intended), the bulk of my musical attention sags somewhere to the right of center. Having interests that span that entire spectrum, it is a refreshing feeling to explore that extreme left and bask in pure tried and true rock ‘n’ roll every once in a while. With all of the rock reunions happening in recent years, it’s easy to miss a new diamond in the rough. If you are looking for some great AOR/hard rock acts, you would do well to expand from the typical and check out newer acts like Sunstorm (w/Joe Lynn Turner), Neonfly, Optimystical, Elevener and David Mark Pearce. His debut full length solo release “Strange Ang3ls” could easily raise the eyebrows of fans of the genre.

For those unfamiliar, David Mark Pearce is an extremely talented guitar player from the U.K. who plays with the Oliver Wakeman Band (Yes). On “Strange Ang3ls,” Pearce is able to showcase his true talent of pure rock with blistering, but beautiful solo work. The songs are pure positive energy and the infectious melodies remain in your head for days, especially “Shelter Me from the Rain,” “Tell Me Why,” “Eden is Burning,” and “Strange Ang3ls” (the latter of which has a distinct Foreigner feel). It is very rare when an instrumental song catches my fancy, but “Every Time it Rains” is majestic and Pearce’s solos sing better than a vocalist would.

No one can question the choice of musicians on this album. Pearce managed to pluck out some amazing musicians for a star studded cast. Vocals are handled both by the versatile and mighty Swede Göran Edman (Vindictiv/Brazon Abbot/Time Requiem) and the powerful John Payne (Asia/Roswell Six) (who also provided guest vocals for Swiss symphonic metal band Lunatica). The duo provides brilliant performances along with Vindictiv drummer Mikael Wikman, bassist C.S. Brown, and keyboardist Lisa LaRue.

“Strange Ang3ls” is a refreshing shower of positive energy that is needed to wash away some of the negative surrounding hard music. The foot tapping infectious melodies and stunning musicianship demand attention from hard rock/AOR and progressive metal fans who would appreciate quality rock ‘n’ roll from this highly enjoyable release.