Allison – They Never Come Back

Allison
They Never Come Back
Massacre Records
March 25^th, 2022 (Re-Release)
Playing time: 41:03

Hard Rock or Heavy Metal from Switzerland is by no means unusual. Just think of Krokus, Gotthard, Shakra or Crystal Ball. Here comes another band from this alpine country. Allison were already founded in 1986. And actually, the band had a great future ahead of them. Many gigs at home and abroad are on the credit side. Among others, they opened for Van Halen, Bon Jovi and Asia. And they were very lucky to open for Thunder, Van Halen and Bon Jovi at the sold-out St. Jakobstadion in Basel. In front of 55,000 enthusiastic fans. And then grunge came along and hardly anyone was interested in hard rock anymore. So, the band was pigeonholed. Two studio albums date from the first creative period. A quarter of a century later, three of the founding members got together and thought it was time to reactivate Allison. The result, “They Never Come Back”, was released in November 2020 via 6003 Records. The re-release via Massacre is now set to increase worldwide awareness.

With “The River” the Swiss start quite heavy, in the Midtempo range. The special aspect is, of course, the singing of front woman Janet La Rose. With this slightly scratchy sounding voice, they have a real jewel in their ranks. But let’s not forget her comrades-in-arms. Bassist Pierce Baltino and drummer Sean Evans lay the rhythmic foundation, while the two guitar players shine with crunchy riffs and excellent solos. “Edge Of Golden Days” and “Crank It Up” offer Blues Rock feeling at its best. The choruses can always be sung along quickly. And on “Edge Of Golden Days” you can hear a Jew’s harp as a gadget. While on ” Crank It Up” Southern Rock elements were included. If you prefer ballads, “Hang Tough” is for you. After an ingenious guitar introduction, the song presents itself with beautiful hook lines. Add to that the languorous vocals of Janet. Also “Beautiful World” belongs to the quieter songs on the album. A filigree guitar solo is the icing on the cake. “Blackbird” is reminiscent of original Rock from the southern states of the USA. “Merry-Go-Round” scores with a great chorus. A wah-wah effect is modulated onto the guitar sound with the help of a talkbox. You don’t hear that too often these days. It’s nice that there are still musicians who use this old technique. Beautiful hooks, purposefully placed riffs and once again the invitation to sing along are the trademark of “Rock High”. With “Can You Hear Me”, things really take off. Here Allison leave the usual midtempo area. THE headbanger of the album. The guitarists shine again. After this tempo peak, it’s back to the usual midtempo realms. In “Open Water”, the Hammond organ wavers discreetly to the rock sounds. 

I also listened to the two albums “One” and “Wonderland” for comparison. Allison have visibly matured. This is especially noticeable in the vocals. Janet’s voice sounds stronger, but also rougher than twenty-five years ago. The whole sound is much more powerful and voluminous. Tommy Vetterli and Claudio Cueni have done a great job. If there is anything at all to criticise, it is the dominance of the vocals. When Janet sings, she draws all attention to herself and pushes the instruments into the background. But the instrumentalists also do a good job. “The Never Come Back” is an extremely successful comeback, which is now rightly distributed worldwide by a bigger label.

Allison – Merry-Go-Round: https://youtu.be/43PSvk2I0CE

Lineup:

Janet La Rose (aka Janine Amberg) – Vocals
Jonny Stutz – Gitarren
Robi Würgler – Gitarren
Pierce Baltino – Bass
Sean Evans – Drums

Track list:

• The River
• Edge Of Golden Days
• Crank It Up
• Hang Tough
• Beautiful World
• Blackbird
• Merry-Go-Round
• Rock High
• Can You Hear Me
• Open Water