BANGALORE CHOIR – Rapid Fire Succession: On Target Part II

For those who aren’t familiar with Bangalore Choir (and no, they are not an actual choir; the band name just sucks), they are a hard rock band that were formed by former Accept vocalist David Reece, and guitarists Curt Mitchell and John Kirk in 1991. Talk about a band that has a very messy history. Their debut album, On Target (1992), which features songs co-written by Jon Bon Jovi and Aldo Nova, was not successful, forcing the band to split up shortly afterwards. They reunited, without Kirk, in 2010 and put out their second studio album, Cadence, that same year. Since then, Bangalore Choir have released three more studio albums, including their latest release, Rapid Fire Succession: On Target Part II (2025), which was released through BraveWords Records. The album title pays homage to and references their debut album. It’s also worth noting that Mitchell is no longer in the band. Actually, none of the original members are with the group anymore.

Call it ignorance, but based on the lineup that plays on the album, Rapid Fire Succession: On Target Part II sounds more like a self-indulgent David Reece solo album than a Bangalore Choir studio album. There are 16 songs total, and the album length is an hour and seven minutes long. Think of AC/DC’s Black Ice (2008), there are 15 songs total, and the album length is 55 minutes and 38 seconds. Half of the songs are good, but the other half are average. The same can be said for Rapid Fire Succession: On Target Part II, which wow, the album title is a mouthful to say.

Too Much Material

“How Does It Feel” doesn’t have the greatest chorus ever, but it’s decent enough and the guitar playing is amazing. “Love and War” has a killer groove, a great melody, the chorus is catchy, and it’s got that tough, rock ‘n’ roll attitude of the ‘80s. “I Never Meant To,” is an unintentional country ballad. It’s got that twang and bluesy tone, plus Reece’s raspy vocals suit the genre well. “I’m Headed For” is a high-energy banger that would work well on a stadium tour; if the band ever gets a chance to go down that route. The guitar playing is insane and the bass line is juicy; it’s an ‘80s rock anthem that was released 40 years too late.

“Swimming with the Shark” is very commercial sounding, thanks to the poppy melodies. “The Light” is another nicely done country-fied power ballad. “The Beauty” can be interpreted as returning to the simple life where everyone lives in peace and free from hate. “Sail On” sounds like it was meant for classic rock radio. The chorus is catchy, the backing vocals are great, it’s very melodic and commercial sounding, and it’s got a great groove. Surprisingly, the album closer, “Mending Fences,” is one of the best songs on the album because it’s so different from the rest of the tracklist. It’s a soulful and orchestral piano ballad with a similar message to “The Beauty,” which is restoring peace to what it once was. Reece’s vocals work really well with this song.

Final Assessment

As stated before, half of the songs on Rapid Fire Succession: On Target Part II are good, while the other half are average. The instrumentation is solid as a rock, especially the tasteful, old-school guitar playing, and the production is very modern sounding. For the most part, the songs are classic rock-based, but the ones that stand out the most are those where Bangalore Choir experiments with different genres and styles, like “Mending Fences” and “The Light.” It’s conflicting because the songs sound fantastic (like background music at a party), but it’s a lot of material to get to. For those who are interested, give Bangalore Choir’s Rapid Fire Succession: On Target Part II a chance!

Album Tracklist

1. How Does It Feel
2. Driver’s Seat
3. Love and War
4. I Never Meant To
5. I’m Headed For
6. Bullet Train
7. Swimming with the Shark
8. The Light
9. Prisoner
10. The Beauty
11. Sail On
12. Trouble with the Truth
13. Still the Same
14. Blinded by Fire in the Sky
15. Rock of Ages
16. Mending Fences

Band Lineup

David Reece – lead vocals
Diego Pires – lead and rhythm guitars
Eric Juris – lead and rhythm guitars
Andy Susemihl – lead and rhythm guitars, and backing vocals
Mario Percudani – lead and rhythm guitars, and backing vocals
Riccardo Demarosi – bass guitar and backing vocals
Nello Savinelli – drums

Guest Musicians

Jimmy Waldo – keyboards
Ferdy Doernberg – keyboards

Check out the music video for “Driver’s Seat” from Bangalore Choir’s Rapid Fire Succession: On Target Part II!