TERRA NOVA – Come Alive

In the movie Napoleon Dynamite there was a character by the name of Uncle Rico. Uncle Rico is a middle-aged former high-schooler and is mentally stuck in the year 1982. Rico longs to go back in time and change his fortune, even buying a “time machine” over the Internet in an attempt to return to 1982. He fervently believes he had the potential to be a star professional athlete.

Upon listening to the latest release from Terra Nova, Come Alive, you feel like having stepped into a “time machine” to the year 1982. Their music sounds similar to the top rock bands of the day; Journey, Survivor, Loverboy, etc. The songs are upbeat and inspirational. There are lots of motivating lyrics to make you feel like a winner. A good example would be the song “Fighting Yourself” in which the chorus proclaims “Start believing in yourself, start healing your soul.”

Despite the musical content, this Dutch quartet clearly does not have a lack of talent. Anchored by vocalist Fred Hendrix, whose vocal talents and high range are reminiscent of Journey’s Steve Perry. The keyboards play a very predominant role throughout this album. The main musical themes in each song come from the synthesizers rather than the guitars. This of course gives you the dated feel of the music. The guitars however should not be overlooked. Guitarist Gesuino Derosas has some outstanding solos and riffs that prove him worthy.

The songs themselves are actually powerful and well written. Although it seems each would easily fit into an inspirational movie montage from the 80’s, they are filled with upbeat rhythms and messages of hope. There are also some slower ballads that fit well within the album. The song “Here Comes The Night” could have easily been a Top 10 hit song in another place in time. The best song on the album is arguably “Under Pressure”. This song starts out with a cryptic piano introduction and some great escalating vocals before the band kicks in to produce a very progressive and stimulating melody.

The music on Come Alive is clearly not fresh. However you shouldn’t overlook this album if you enjoy a classic rock sound built on keyboards and synthesizers. Terra Nova has the capacity to make some great music, although for 2010 standards one would expect a more progressive style given the great talents of the musicians. The songs come off as too simple and too quirky. There are moments of greatness here and there, but just not enough give the album strength to hold up over time.