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WINGER
Seven

Frontiers (2023)
Rating: 8.5/10

Oh how us thrashers laughed in the 80s when the likes of MTV were pumping out Winger’s ‘Seventeen’ track and yet here I am, decades later, raving about frontman Kip Winger and his merry band of musos. I guess back in 1988 a lot of hard rock, in spite of its success, was criticised mostly due to its look – the big hair, the tight skimpy clothes, the hairy chests and pre-selfie pouts, and that’s just the men! Even so, it was a golden era to be a teenager even if I veered more towards the extreme side of the metal genre. After grunge hit, Winger disbanded in 1994 but since then studio albums have been released on a sporadic basis.

Seven is, as the title so obviously suggests, the seventh full-length release from Winger and it comes nine years after the last outing, 2014’s Better Days Comin’, which in spite of its title saw the band somewhat fade from the public eye. However, and as expected, this new release showcases all that was and is to be admired from Winger; the steaming grooves, the big melodies and catchy choruses and a batch of songs which prove, once and for all, that Winger is and always was a talented outfit, especially the criminally underrated guitarist Reb Beach who struts through this album with devilish swagger.

From the hefty trails of opener ‘Proud Desperado’, Winger showcase that driving weight that many bands of this ilk are rarely commended for. Kip Winger has that snarl in his voice, while the drums of Rod Morgenstein have that cocksure kick. Forget the myths that Winger was and remains bubblegum pomp rock because at times the guys deliver crisp and heavy stuff that sizzles with a fiery exuberance.

Thankfully, the riffs continue throughout with the likes of ‘Tears Of Blood’ and the grungy ‘Voodoo Fire’, although the more melodious, softer tracks brim with a wholesome density too. We must never underestimate the songwriting prowess and technical ability of the band even with the AOR sways of a track like ‘Heaven’s Falling’ and the ballad ‘Broken Glass’. Of course the rockier escapades are never far away and ‘Stick The Knife In And Twist’ and ‘It’s Okay’ are evidence again of finely tuned, riff-driven melodies, but the way you get those acoustic blends too on a few tracks is a great example of the underrated diversity of the band.

Winger may always be remembered as being part of the poorly labelled “hair metal” scene, although the detractors among you might want to not only revisit the back catalogue but also take a dip into Seven as proof that this is a seriously talented heavy rock band with still so much fantastic material to offer.

Neil Arnold

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