Great White became a household name for two things. One of them positive and the other negative. The positive one is their single “Once Bitten, Twice Shy”, that became one of the glam metal anthems and one of the best feel-good songs of the `80s. The negative one was the fire on the 20th of February 2003 in The Station Club in Rhode Island. A fire which claimed the lives of 100 individuals, amongst which that of Ty Longley, the band’s guitarist.

Let’s focus however on the good stuff and the relation that has to the album whose review you are now in the process of reading. Great White, have released their second album since their reunification in 2007 and their eleventh in total. For a band whose last brief success was almost twenty years ago, they surprisingly upbeat. From the opening track “Situation” right thru to “All Or Nothin'" that follows the album is more AOR than glam metal. “I Don't Mind” is more melodic and relaxed and it reminds me a bit of Toto, while “Shine” is just  Jack Russell trying to be Coverdale and “Loveless” returns to those AOR paths and contains a lot of what gave the band their success, major key melodies and a catchy chorus. The album continues with “Is It Enough” which happens to be the most American and at the same time feeble track on the album. Somewhere here if this was vinyl I would flip the album over in order to hear side B and I’d do it impatiently because so far it’s been good…

However instead of that I just press skip and I land on to “Last Chance” that takes me back to Uriah Heep and especially Ken Hensley’s material. It’s nice to see bands playing a good tribute to their influences. “Danger Zone” that follows could him have been written by a certain Mr. Jovi if he collaborated with Kenny Loggins instead of Richie Sambora, whom he would simply bring on to write the guitar solo. What we have after that? Trumpets and wah-wah pedals? So it’s Whitesnake turning funk on “Down On The Level” and the resulting song ends up on a Great White album. “Only You Can Do” is one of those ballads that you’ve heard a million times, while the penultimate “My Sanctuary” with its Hammond and the mouthorgan winks towards a certain Paul Rodgers. And since we’re moving back in time influence-wise what more suitable to close the album than “Let's Spend The Nite Together” a track that clearly pays homage to the Rolling Stones?

So in total, how’s the album? If I had to compare it to something this would be with a night-out in my favorite bar which would be full of a lot of old friends. Sure it would not be a life changing experience but it would be a nice way to spend a Saturday night…