SHANNON – Angel In Disguise

There are not many French Rock bands burning up the charts these days. Come to think of it, there are not many famous French Rock musicians, period. Turns out Melodic Rock band SHANNON could change all that with their most recent release Angel In Disguise. There are a lot of keyboards here and Shannon really sound like both Journey and Foreigner … and that’s a good thing.

Here’s the album track listing:

1. Do You Know?
2. Hungry For Love
3. No More Lies
4. Keep On Rolling
5. No Better Times
6. On and On
7. Love In Your Eyes
8. Long Gone
9. Winter Night
10. Coming Back To You
11. Hang On
12. Change Your Heart
13. Road Of Desire

“Hungry For Love” has some great, over-the-top guitar solos. This is the exact track you’d expect from a European Melodic Rock band. No, there isn’t anything new here, but the tunes are pleasant and provide a soundtrack for a good time. If you like ballads, you might enjoy “On and On.” Problem is singer Olivier Del Valle falls victim to the “accent” crisis that befalls so many foreign performers. America isn’t the center of the universe, but it is the world’s largest music market – so all performers are pretty cognizant of making music for North American fans. As “On and On” wears on (pun intended), Del Valle’s accent comes in and out of prominence. It’s pretty clear he’s trying to show some control here … but, it largely doesn’t work.

Shannon is a band that does better with fast tunes. One of the best is “Coming Back To You.” The guitars are heavy, riffs fast … drums pound. Shannon didn’t over think this track, and that’s a reason why it shines. Just as crunchy are “Hang On” with its 80s inspired guitar tone and “Keep on Rolling” with its Arena Rock feel. Shannon has three albums to their credit and it seems they are growing in both songwriting ability and true musicianship. Each member lists 80s Glam bands as their main influences, so that’s always a good sign. Perhaps with time, SHANNON can very well be the best French Rock band in history.