BABYLON A.D. – Revelation Highway

Formed in 1987, Babylon A.D. is a cohesive unit as all original members of this five-piece unit are still together. The San Francisco, California, band have longevity but aren’t prolific as they have released just their fourth studio album Revelation Highway in 30 years. The band shares the album is “…10 tracks of energetic classic hard rock…sure to please fans of the band’s classic early material.” It delivers mixed results with some difficulty both in energy and capturing the spirit of the band’s late ‘80’s and early 90’s vibe.

The band seems to be trying too hard to be something it’s not on the first half of the album. The opening track “Crash And Burn” has a decent riff, but the lyrics are a ridiculous blend of Hair Metal lyrics culminating with the illogical “…I could see that cop car siren screaming…” While “Fool On Fire” is much better lyrically, poor mixing buries the melody. “Tears” finally gives the listener a glimpse of the band’s strength; stripped down power riffs and vocals comfortably within range but the pleading chorus is off-putting after the first repetition. “She Likes To Give It” closes the first half of the album with a vocal performance forced far outside the vocalist’s comfort zone and mixed far too hot.

Perhaps by this point only true fans will be listening and they’ll be rewarded with the next five songs which sound like the band is in their comfort zone. The songs have an 80’s Metal feel about them, and that’s what fans are seeking from a Babylon A.D. album. “I’m No Good For You” is a classic blend of cliché lyrics and powerful riffs as easy to slip on as a worn leather jacket. “Saturday Night” and “Don’t Tell Me Tonight” close out the album transporting you back to a time when 80’s Melodic Metal ruled the music world.

With such long periods between releases, Revelation Highway is easily recommended for the patient fans. For the rest of us, the album doesn’t deliver enough songs with the energy and soul from early in their career.

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