Jake E. Lee has always been one of my favorite guitarists. Perhaps that’s because of his unique style, which has certainly contributed to the sound of modern metal. So you can imagine my excitement upon hearing about his return to the scene with his latest outfit: Red Dragon Cartel.
The album kicks off with Jake’s signature high-octane riffing opening up “Deceived”, a track slightly reminiscent of his days with Ozzy Osbourne (“Bark At The Moon” comes to mind) with bridge vocals that are a direct nod to Ozzy. Yet the evolution of Jake’s technique is obvious, incredible to think that there could have even been room to improve! Vocalist Darren James Smith has a voice that reminds me of a combination of Perry Farrell and Bruce Dickinson, and he’s well matched to Jake.
“Feeder” has a fabulous lead guitar intro and outro. I really enjoyed Robin Zander’s vocals – some very catchy and memorable melodies in this soaring soundscape. This track leads nicely into the dream-like ballad “Fall from the Sky” which is becoming a fast favorite. I love Jake’s sense of exploration with the guitar melodies.
Hearing Paul Di’Anno and Jake E. Lee together in “Wasted” was a real treat. Iron Maiden’s original front man belts out solid leads with his trademark warble in what is the heaviest track on the album. Maria Brink delivers a strong performance on the bluesy “Big Mouth”, yet “Redeem Me” with Sass Jordan just feels like, well, a Sass Jordan song. Nothing wrong with that I suppose, if you like Sass Jordan. To me it feels a little out of place on the album.
“War Machine” channels Ozzy again, this time circa 1976. It’s a track that’s a little too familiar to its obvious influences. The album closes with a rather charmingly quirky piano instrumental that Jake apparently wrote as young child!
As much as I enjoyed most of the guest vocalists on the album, I think the band is at its best with Mr. Smith at the helm. I really like his voice and I think it best suits not only Jake E. Lee’s style of playing, but also his style of songwriting. I would love to hear another album with this truly talented combination of core band members.
Regardless, this is a great album and well worth a listen. Welcome back Jake, you were missed!
Richard Leggatt, HMS
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