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ARC ANGEL
Harlequins Of Light

Frontiers (2013)
Rating: 8/10

Nothing beats the luxurious arrangements of 80s hard rock bands such as House Of Lords, so it’s no surprise that Connecticut’s Arc Angel are such a heart warming experience. For those who don’t know their 80s melodic rock, Arc Angel are fronted by Jeff Cannata who was responsible for the melodic airs of the band’s 1983 self-titled opus, as well as putting together 70s progressive rock band Jasper Wraith, who were later fronted by House Of Lords vocalist James Christian.

Of course, there are many who may not have known that Cannata soldiered on through the grunge-infested 90s and 00s, bringing us up to date with the lavish construction of Harlequins Of Light.

Accompanying multi-instrumentalist Cannata on this road of plushness is bass guitarist Scott Spray, pianist Jeff Batter, acoustic guitarist David Coe, and a handful of other experienced musicians. The end product, as I expected, is another of those wondrous displays of AOR.

Harlequins Of Light opens with the striking, striding pomp of the title track, which drifts into the room on a spray of synths and piano, before slowly building into the sort of track you imagine would’ve been aired on MTV all those years ago during the hair metal heyday. However, it would be almost cheap talk to class this record as hair metal, because it’s so much more accomplished than the fleeting pout from the 80s – Cannata’s voice is warm, sultry and effortless in its soul as the synths tinker like a waterfall in the background, before building up to that infectious powerhouse of a chorus.

‘As Far As The Eye Can See’ is another of those made-for-radio rockers that evokes images of distant city lights, Cannata speaking of lands of myth and promise as he motions, “Sailing ships through time and space, with plans to build a master race” over those oh so subtle arrangements, leading us to a jaunty chorus which has been created with sprightly aplomb.

‘War (Battle Wounds Of Life)’ is overtly more majestic yet pensive in its outlook, as Jeff questions, “Is there ever a reason for war? There’s a deafening silence when you look all around for a reason”. It’s a track so epic and stirring, wrenched from the 80s and yet so sincere and heart-churning in its lyrical content.

Other album treats are the plodding splendour of ‘Voice Of Illuminati’, which is simply way too clever to be deemed mere melodic rock; it boasts luxurious arrangements and an ever-present piano as the guitars wind themselves throughout. ‘Through The Night’ was made for stadiums with its aching melodies, while ‘Fortune Teller 2’ is a reworking of the old nugget ‘Fortune Teller’ from Cannata’s 1988 Images Of Forever opus.

The strangest images I get when hearing this gorgeous record is if Paul McCartney formed a melodic rock outfit, then maybe it would sound like this! I’m unsure why McCartney, circa Wings, comes to mind here, but the likes of ‘Tonight… Forever’ and the acoustic sway of ‘Get To You’ are so joyous.

A lot of those rock ’n’ roll family trees are often lost on me, maybe due to the fact that there are so many quality musicians around which have spawned from their 80s rock associations that I just can’t keep up. When such gems as Harlequins Of Light slip my way though, I feel all the better for it. Arc Angel is a magnificent melodic rock creation that can effortlessly churn out such golden greats as ‘Diamonds And Gold’ and the storytelling magic of the ‘Legend Of The Mary Celeste’, which adds an esoteric quality to proceedings. This is a clever album that bridges the gap between progressive rock and flaky 80s harmony.

Neil Arnold

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