FINAL FRONTIER – High Tension Wire

High Tension Wire is the third album from main men Rob Moratti (Moratti) and Mladen (Von Groove, Triumph and 24K) — the guitarist with a two syllable name. With eleven tracks in all, this release proves to be a decent slab of Melodic AOR Rock that’s very easy to compare to American bands like Journey.

Once you get past the electrical conductive high wire sounds (no your speaker wires are not loose) within the title track and opener, “High Tension Wire,” you’ll immediately notice the slightly unique vocal style of Moratti. His vocals have a higher, thinner pitch to them versus a Steve Perry. At first blush, it takes some getting used to. No worries, though, after a few repeated spins the catchy melodies and energetic lead guitar solos will draw you in, and Moratti will feel like a natural fit to the overall sound.

It’s quite refreshing to hear a near five-minute long commercial track like “High Tension Wire” ending with nearly a minute and a half long flurry of Neil Schon-like guitar soloing. “Hollywood Drama” shines with its multi-layered chorus bridge … “Lights, Camera, Action!” fueled by a distant guitar and capped off by its own captivating guitar solo. “Something More Than This” is a surprisingly high-octane rocker, replete with chorus and aggressive guitar solo. This pattern carries throughout the release with only one or two “sickening” tracks thrown into the mix. One of those being the ill-fated named “Beauty And The Beast.” For some reason this track comes off sounding too “sugary,” possibly, in part, due to the title and the unavoidable images of Walt Disney’s film by the same name.

Granted, this release is by no means the heaviest Melodic Rock release available on the market today. Final Frontier seems to borrow pleasing traits from American bands like Journey, Styx, and Toto, and then manages to add their own unique touch to the overall experience. It has something new to offer to typical couples that might be stuck on on referring back over and over to the aforementioned traditional bands. This release offers pleasant commercial songs for “her,” and fast, sharp-engaging guitar solos for “him.”

Line-Up:
Rob Moratti: Vocals
Mladen: Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Production
Lawrence Falcomer: Guitars
Michael Shotton: Drums

Report Card:
Vocals: B-
Guitars: B+
Bass: C
Keyboards: C
Drums: C
Recording Quality: B
Lyrics: C+
Originality: B-
Overall Rating: B

To find out more about Final Frontier, visit the label’s site at www.Frontiers.it.