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CD REVIEW: One World (R)evolution - Transitions
By Cyrus Rhodes - 07/31/2010 - 07:50 PM EDT
Artist: One World (R)evolution featuring Astrum
Album: Transitions
Label: Independent Artist
Website: http://www.oneworldrevolution.us
Genre: Acoustic Singer/Songwriter
Sounds Like: Melissa Etheredge, Joan Jett , Lita Ford
Technical Grade: 10/10
Production/Musicianship Grade: 10/10
Commercial Value: 10/10
Overall Talent Level: 10/10
Songwriting Skills: 10/10
Performance Skill: 10/10
Best Songs: The road less traveled, Get your Green on, Voice is Calling
Weakness: NONE
CD Review:
The artist formerly known as Cheryl Hill has recently morphed into Astrum Lux Lucis or Astrum. The name of “The Vegan Rockers” new band is One World (R)evolution - conscious rock for the awakening generation. Pretty cool tag line to match a new marketability angle. The Austin, Texas based lead singer emerges from the indie shadows to relapse her band’s appropriately titled debut CD "Transitions.".
The CD kicks things off with “Get your green on” a rocking intro piece that serves up driving rock rhythm, infectious vocal melodies & harmonies coupled with a nice catchy chorus that really stays with you. Track 2 “Stop the Insanity” dishes out steady flowing rock vibe against bluesy-rock guitar rhythms, & sonic harmonies from Astrum. Track 3 “New World” shifts gears a bit with delicate guitar intro against Astrum;s soothing vocal layering. As the CD slowly unfolds I can hear many different musical textures reminiscent of such classic acts such as Melissa Etheredge, K.D. Lang, & maybe a dash of Lita Ford & Poison. The music itself is an impressive blend of alternative rock, with patches of hard rock, & perhaps a dash of southern rock blues. I might add her songwriting style has a vintage 80’s flair with respect to it’s style & overall progression. Astrum’s voice goes down smooth, & has a rebellious jagged edge to it full of warmth, passion & wisdom. With spiked hair, infectious personality & rebellious attitude Astrum’s got the cutting edge persona. This can be a very deadly combination, As she reveals more & more to you, the gravitational force gets even more powerful. Enter her amazing songwriting prowess - she may be bigger than any of us realize. By track 4 the CD hits full stride delivering some amazing pieces back to back “Voice is Calling & my favorite piece “The Road Less Traveled.” This last piece strikes the perfect balance between blues, rock, & a passionate vocal delivery making for an impressive statement. My hats off to Astrum for letting it all hang with her writing & her singing. She clearly is a master writer, & knows how to write good solid vocal melodies & hooks. The writing, playing abilities of her band are above the bar. The songs themselves are short & sweet musical experiences with catchy melodic hooks & accents that are very effective. Beware because they are highly addictive, & packed full of classic rock flair that flow & ebb with powerful emotion & subject matter. From upbeat “Why Can’t we love Each Other” & ”I will always love you” to spiritual “Tranquility” this CD pretty much has it all. A few pieces hit hard like “Let Love In” & “Get your Green on.” All in all this CD showcases a rich personality & amazing talent that is none other than Astrum.
Cheryl Hill is no stranger to the Music Business, We've seen a few artists out there attempt to overhaul their sound & image over the years. Band's like Bon Jovi, Rob Halford (Fight) & even Prince have made the successful transition. It takes raw courage to do this & I think this transition works for Cheryl from Hard 80'-90's rock to something a bit more popish or mainstream. I also really admire artists out there who are themselves & just let the chips fall where they may. Praise goes out to those artists that can show us something real and genuine beneath their veil of vanity. Astrum is one of those artists. “Transitions” is an amazing musical statement from start to finish & has some very impressive moments on it. The music is clean, but has a jagged edge to it. All the messages are passionate & are sung from a deeply honest perspective. It’s strong suit – the writing & singing abilities Astrum. Like the aforementioned she is a musical triple threat, & is clearly a premier talent. She possesses enough musical talent & songwriting prowess to be extremely dangerous. The musicianship of the rest of the members of her band are first rate. The songs are short & sweet musical experiences. Each one possessing a unique personality, flair, and signature groove. Cheryl Hill or Astrum has clearly proven herself yet again with this release, & she is an artist worthy of attention, spotlight, & praise. I guess could go on and on all night about Astrum, you simply have got to get your hands on some of her music., but be careful it's highly addictive.
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