After the release of the self-titled debut in 2008… Kurt Vereecke the multiplayer (keyboards, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals) and mastermind behind the band decided to make Frozen Rain more of a band and less of a project. Thus, he cooperated with Carsten ‘Lizard’ Schulz Hans (vocals), Hans Vereecke (drums), Jurgen Vitrier (keyboards), Vincent De Laat (bass guitar), Rik Priem (rhythm and solo guitars, acoustic guitar)… the guys that have constituted Frozen Rain for some years now and the result is “Ahead of Time”. Chris Swinney (who has also co-written 4 songs on the album) is the guest musician here, as he does some backing vocals on “Believe It or Not” & “Not at Home” and the “electro voice” on the instrumental “Voodoo Party”.
This album has a harder edge than the debut and it’s a little bit heavier. When having Carsten as a lead singer then you must surely sound a bit harder… without meaning that you won’t enjoy pure AOR music with nice keyboard layers and melodies along with rockin’ guitars and beautiful hooklines. This album is a step ahead and way better than the debut. Frozen Rain is now a band and you can hear that all over “Ahead of Time”. Carsten is indeed a great vocalist that has a rich/more rockin’ edge on his voice… and he’s been a real catch for any AOR, melodic rock or hard rock band over the past years. The songwriting on “Ahead of Time” is more precise and stronger and the musicianship is great. The production is excellent, adding extra points to the final work as the album was mixed by Alessandro Del Vecchio (Edge Of Forever, Time Machine) and produced by the acclaimed Dennis Ward. You just can’t go wrong with those guys behind the mixing desk!
You will enjoy every song in “Ahead of Time”, for this album is well-written and well-produced… but my personal favorites are: “Believe It or Not” (what a superb atmospheric intro), “Forever”, “Breakin’ Out”, “Too Late” (very sensitive ballad with some 80s touches), “Turn It On” (fantastic performance by ‘Lizard’), “Ahead of Time”, “The Last Dance Ain’t Over” (an up-tempo melodic rocker – maybe the best song with “Turn It On” here) & the guitar-driven, instrumental “Voodoo Party”. If you were surprised nicely by the band’s debut then this album will totally enthuse you. Generally, if you fancy AOR/melodic rock music, better check “Ahead of Time” straightaway…
PS: You can preview the album here.
