CD REVIEW: WISHING WELL – Chasing Rainbows

CD REVIEW: WISHING WELL – Chasing Rainbows
Inverse Records
2016
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
7 ½ /10

Finnish trio Wishing Well harken back to the glory days of ‘80s metal – the days when AC/DC, Rainbow and even Def Leppard were considered ‘heavy metal’ bands. The sort of metal, that is, that features soaring melodies, crunching tectonic riffs and where the guitar was the king of all.

To further cement their connection with those mythical days of yore, Wishing Well have enlisted the still impressive vocal duties of ex-Rainbow, Alcatrazz, Michael Schenker Group and solo artist Graham Bonnet to guest on the track Hippie Heart Gypsy Soul – and a cracker it is too.

If you’re tempted to assume that Wishing Well are nothing on the remaining 8 tracks without Bonnet, the good news is that’s not the case.

Science Fiction and Sacrifice rock like Dio used to – complete with epic lyrics featuring an alien robot war and a classical good versus evil fight within saga, respectively. Luck Is Blind is a more sugary confection, bring Bonnet-era Rainbow to mind, while I’ll Never Let You Go’s semi-acoustic groove could almost fit in a smokey basement jazz club. Just to prove they have muscle when needed, the Finns imbue Holy Mountain with the spirit and punch of early Manowar.

A mirror of past days, then – but a welcome portal to a less tainted time, one filled with happy memories much missed for all of us who were there.

Category: CD Reviews