Trae Cadenhead
- The Phantom Tollbooth
www.tollbooth.org
Having a roommate who
can't get over '80s Christian Rock music has not been good for my
taste in the formerly popular, now dead phenomenon. When I read
about Joshua Perahia in another
publication that compared them to Petra,
it was almost enough to scare me away from this album. However,
I was still curious if a band could really be serious about making
that kind of music in this day and age. With this predisposed disposition
I popped Something to Say into
my CD player and received a very pleasant surprise.
Granted, the members of Joshua
Perahia have come from the glory days of '80s rock and
roll, but that doesn't mean that they can't make good music to relate
to people now. Something to Say
emphasizes that point emphatically. The band is comprised of songwriter/lead
guitarist Joshua Perahia (known
for his bands Joshua and Jaguar),
vocalist Jerry Gabriel (Wasted
Angel, Tower, and Fortune), bassist Joey
Rochrich (from the German hard rock scene), and drummer
Eric Stoskopf (from the L.A.
scene). Together, these four talented musicians have created a very
impressive collection of melodic hard rock composed of strong ballads
and memorable anthems of love.
The guitar work of Perahia was the
first big draw for me on this album. His solos
soar above everything else, yet don't distract from the
rest of the music, but instead add to it. Everything seems to flow
well together. The music is very much influenced by the aforementioned
'80s rock, however comparisons to Petra are totally unfair. The
music of Joshua Perahia is much classier than virtually any '80s
band that I can think of. They don't have songs that
are straight up rock songs meant to get the kids excited, nor do
they have soft, quiet songs designed to settle everyone down. The
band avoids this trend that I believe set bands such as Petra back
and instead opt for an album of songs that flow together well. Most
of the songs begin slow and soft and allow for a natural build that
fits much better than a forced hard rock riff. Sometimes on the
album I can even here slight blues influences, which turn out to
be a very beneficial thing.
The lyrics of Joshua Perahia, just
like the music, don't come off as forced and cheesy, but instead
as natural and honest. Love
is a key theme of Something to Say and depending on the song it
could be love for a person or love for God. Some songs even express
both. Either way, Joshua Perahia finds a way to express faith in
their music by showing honesty and simply sharing of themselves.
The songs that came off as the best written to me were "Remembering
You" and "Tears of Joy," which both convey strong
imagery and pictures of faith.
In thinking about this release from
the new lineup known as Joshua Perahia, the key words that I'm left
with are talent, class, honesty, and balance.
This is an experienced band who knows quite well how to make great
music. And that's all coming from me, a guy who doesn't even like
'80s rock!
C.W.
Ross - Christian Rockers Online
www.christianrockersonline.com
If you're like me and old enough to remember
the classic rock sound of 80's bands then you will feel right at
home when you play this CD on your stereo. Don't worry though the
music isn't dated. It has a classic yet still fresh sound. When
you listen to this CD you better have a fire extinguisher handy
because of the smoking red hot guitar work found on it. While the
guitar work really lights up the songs the drums and vocals are
able to hold their own resulting in a top notch music project. Many
of the songs have a melodic mood to them but the band proves that
they can also play full speed ahead crank it up type rock in the
song, "Let Your Love Shine Down." The lyrics found on
the CD aren't preachy but come at you more from an open honest faith
perspective. If you're a fan of big guitar 80's rock you
will love this CD. I also think if you're looking to
hear something different from the cookie cutter mold sound that
is found on much of today's music you will find much to please your
musical taste palate with the songs found on this CD.
Andreas Hohn
- Rock It Magazine
www.aor-europe.com
Joshua
Perahia wrote melodic rock history in 1988, when his
third album "Intense Defense"
with vocalist extraordinaire Rob Rock
was released, a nowadays hard to find CD. In 1995, his sadly underrated
and due to unhappy circumstances (record company bank bankruptcy!)
overlooked M Pire work was the
man’s last musical sign of life.....
2001 marks the triumphant
return and believe me, the band is stronger than ever before! It
took quite a while to find the perfect
singer in Jerry Gabriel.
A stroke of luck for every band and definitely an up and coming
star in the genre, no matter if his vocals are smooth or aggressive.
For the „soulful" moments of the album they succeeded in getting
ex Santana voice Alex
Ligertwood into the studio who did lead vocals on four
of the twelve tracks. Perfect example is the bluesy semi ballad
"I Can Feel Again" sending shivers down my spine every
time I listen to it. Equally as great is the Survivor-tinged "Remembering
You", offered in both acoustic and electric versions. "The
First And The Last" is perfect "food" for every west coast
fan with Chicago's Jason Scheff
adding superb backing vocals. "Let Your Love Shine Down"
and "It Hasn't Been Easy" would have been highlights
on Whitesnake's mega-seller "1987". And again
these fantastic vocals by Jerry Gabriel sending
David Coverdale directly into the second row. The title
track is destined to become a rock classic with his marvelous hook
line. But you haven't heard track number four called "Precious
Love". This definitely is the song
Boston's Tom Scholz has been dreaming to write for more than twenty
years now! Jerry Gabriel sounds like a deadringer to
the mighty Brad Delp. But enough of those comparisons, this record
doesn't have any weak moment all. And the diversity of genres blows
me away! So does the production, handled by the one and only Keith
Olsen himself. "Something To Say" is one of the
first releases done in the new DVD Audio technology and what a brilliant
result we have here! More than sixty-two minutes of pure listening
enjoyment. My first and well deserved ten
since I'm writing for www.aor-europe.com.
My personal record of the year!
Score:
10
Peter Albers
- Melodic Rock.com
www.melodicrock.com
It's true: You waited
a little bit for this announced review. Now, it's here and it's
for you... we waited such a long time for this great CD. To check
where this album can be bought go to Joshua's web site at www.joshuaperahia.com.
Starting this review is different to my others, is there anybody
out there who starts with an Internet link? But this is the most
important detail in this review ... this
release is more needed than anything other. In a time
of terror and tyranny this album is one reason that shows you how
life could be so beautiful. Starting with the "back" of a normal
review, I'll tell something about the production. It's really rare
to have such a production, made by mastermind Keith
Olsen in the M&K Studios. There's nothing negative
in the production, perfect perfect perfect...
Brilliant. The song writing is the next point: I didn't
find such excellent tracks in the last time,
definitively the best in year 2001 in this genre.
It would be stupid to talk about the musicians, rare to find such
a great band. Only a few words to the guitar work on "Something
To Say": Sometimes you'll find great hooks just like on the
"Intense Defense"-album, but the melodic solace make this
album so unique... a real outstanding guitar
work, believe me. Yes, "Something To Say" starts
very quiet and acoustic, more and more the album gets dynamic and
powerful. "Let Your Love Shine Down" could be an old fashioned
Whitesnake-killertrack (Hi Mr. Coverdale,
that's the right way!) And with "It Hasn't Been Easy"
you can find a killer track for the charts, musically between the
famous Whitesnake and the crazy Guns N' Roses. It's a great mixture
of melodic and powerful tracks at no time is this album boring.
"Something To Say" is for lovers and rockers, that's what
I mean! Finally, a perfect album with perfect
sound and songs, makes the highest rating. Closing this
review means to say "Thank You!" to Steve Brownlee of M&K, who
sent me this album. I don't have something more to say!
Songs: 10/10 Sound:
10/10 All in All: 10/10
Juha Harjula -
Midwestern Skies
www.melodic.net
It’s been awhile
since we heard anything from Mr. Perahia but here he is with the
new Joshua album "Something to Say". It was produced by Keith
Olsen and Peter Love
with brilliant results. On this
album Joshua has got some big help on the vocals from guys like
Jason Scheff (Chicago), Alex Ligertwood (Santana)
and Jerry Gabriel that have done fantastic vocal performances.
The sound of this album can be compared to some classic acts such
as Journey, Rainbow, Whitesnake (era �87), Stuart Smith and some
touches of the "Intense Defense" album. The album opens up
with a new version of "Remembering You" from the "Intense
Defense" album. Next up is the title track that is a brilliant
mid-tempo song where Joshua meets Rainbow with Joe Lynn Turner.
"I Can Feel Again" is a lovely ballad that could have been
on some of the latest Joe Lynn Turner solo albums. "Precious
Love" is the
AOR-song of the album. The pre-chorus is just awesome
with superb hook lines that
lead into a chorus that hits you right away. The
guitar work on this song is just outstanding. I have
been playing this song again and again. "The First and The Last"
is a great 80�s AOR-ballad with brilliant harmony vocals. Brings
Journey to my mind... Whitesnake comes back on the wall again on
the track "One Night Is Not Enough";
this is a great ballad with lovely melodies
that would have made Mr. Coverdale proud. "Something To Say" is
a perfect mixture of both melodic hard
rock and AOR. You don't get
an album this good every day! If you're a true rocker
then check out this brilliant album that delivers both rockers and
ballads with high class.
D. Crockett - Independent
Rock Critic
www.look-up.net/acatalog/somthingtosay.html
Joshua - Something To Say / The Hand Is Quicker
Than The Eye
Hardly the most prolific
of artists, talented guitarist Joshua Perahia first came to everybody's
attention in the mid 80's with the criminally
underrated "Surrender" album, following it
a couple of years later with the slightly heavier, yet equally good
"Intense Defense" effort. Skip forward to the mid 90's
and Joshua popped up again in the decidedly more metal edged M Pire,
releasing one album ("Chapter One") before disappearing
into obscurity once more. Now back after an extended six year break,
Joshua's latest vehicle "Something To Say" sees his most
AOR oriented release to date. A great mix
of smouldering ballads and gently probing rockers, this
would actually seem tame at the side of his previous output but
the songs themselves are so damn infectious
! Given a silky smooth, seductive mix by Keith Olsen,
fans of Journey, Giant, Hardline etc. will absolutely love it !
"The Hand Is Quicker Than The Eye" is a reissue of his
now quite hard to come by debut from 1983. Similar in style to the
aforementioned "Surrender", it lacks both the production
and songs, although it still has some fine moments and is undoubtedly
a much better investment than a lot of
reissues from that period. (D.Crockett)
George Thatcher
- Heart of the Rock Magazine
Fans of Joshua Perahia's
music will be well versed with his prior material, namely the heavy
handed affairs that were his albums 'Surrender' and the magnificent
'Intense Defense', both from the 80's. After a stint
with the MPire project which did not fare well during 1995, Joshua
returns in the new century with this new opus 'Something To Say'.
Well, it appears he does indeed have something
to say. A musical statement, though not given the same
degree of sonic discharge as on those previous efforts. It is a
slab of melodic rock lighter than before, but AOR it isn't. For
want of a comparison, the closest I can come up with is Big Mouth's
'Hands Of Time' album from 1997. A great album that one. The vocals
compare to Larry Leon, while the arrangements and guitar tone also
see similarities. The album takes two paths: the lighter and more
commercial sounding tracks which feature ex Santana singer Alex
Ligertwood, versus the slightly heavier ones with Gabriel singing.
In fact with Ligertwood and Scheff appearing, one can't help thinking
of the recent Radioactive album 'Ceremony Of Innocence' where both
put in appearances. There are moments which do compare.
However, I'm not sure
the duality adds any value or consistency. Also, the opener 'Remembering
You' which was first heard on the 'Intense Defense' album, is given
a double workout, both in electric and accoustic versions with Ligertwood
doing the honors. Given this is a new album, reworking two versions
of an older track (out of the twelve onboard) seems unusual. However
that's Joshua's choice ultimately. The title track 'Something To
Say' works up some heated energy, while 'I Can Feel Again' starts
out with some Neal Schon guitar doodling before settling into a
mid-paced groove. 'Precious Love' is a
melodic rock beauty, but comparisons to Boston and Brad
Delp which have been written about elsewhere are unfounded. Heck,
Boston don't even play in this style! 'The First And The Last' is
very nice, and played in the same style as Radioactive, with a lush
West Coast arrangement. The band start to kick out on the energetic
' Let Your Love Shine Down', a bluesy rock workout. 'Guiding Light'
has a european flavor to it and is one of the better hard rockin'
tracks. 'Tears Of Joy' has power ballad
stamped all over it, again with a blues feel to it, while
the organ work is prominent on 'One Night Is Not Enough', effectively
another ballad.
Despite all these niceties,
overall though I came away feeling very underdone about this album.
A lot of the songs tend to wash over me but none really stick in
my head. Perahia's guitar sound is tempered and restrained, and
for those expecting blazing solos a la 'Reach Up' or 'Living On
The Edge' from 'Intense Defense', then you'll strike out here unfortunately.
It's got a modern sound, but to line it up with many of todays offerings
and to compare it favorably, I think you'll be doing a double take.
- George Thatcher
Pro's: Great lineup, quality of the
sound.. no problem there; about time seeing him back in action.
Con's: Guitar is not as 'in your face' as I would have liked; many
of the songs don't stick in the memory banks...
Score: 8.1
Marco Overvest -
Art For The Ears
artfortheears.freeservers.com
Some will read the name of the
artist and think he's a new star in the firmament of the music world.
However, guitarist Joshua Perahia
is a star who has been blinking in the sky since the early eighties.
With his band Joshua he released three records. He formed the band
Jaguar and later on M-Pire. It was M-Pire that released
the last Perahia album, in 1995. It seemed that since the star was
dwindling. But he's back.
The year 2001 marks the refocusing
on Joshua's widely acclaimed talent. His solo album was produced
by Keith Olsen (Whitesnake,
Scorpions, Santana), guaranteeing a flawless
effort. Besides Olsen this disc features an all star
cast. Besides two of his old M-Pire buddies, Perahia is assisted
by Jason Scheff (Chicago), Alex Ligertwood
(Santana) and Richard Baker.
Lead vocalist on the album is Jerry Gabriel.
Musically this record offers great melodic rock/hard rock. It sounds
very eighties-like. But it's done with confidence, convincing the
listener. Tracks like "I Can Feel Again", "One
Night Is Not Enough" and the title track are powerful
and catchy rock songs. "Tears Of Joy"
sounds like a Bon Jovi classic. On the lighter side, "The
First and The Last", is a soulful ballad with close harmony
elements. And, of course, Joshua Perahia
is a top-notch guitarist, playing with enough fingerspitzengef�hl
to send shivers over your back. Something
to Say is a perfect return for this veteran. Let it shine!
Fred Monster -
Majestic Magazine
After the first Joshua
album, Surrender (when was it,
1985 or so?) I lost track of the band. I remember it getting very
high ratings in the Hard rock and Metal media around that time,
but despite the fact I liked what they did, I didn't rate Surrender
as a great album, just good.
About a year ago I got the message
that Joshua Perahia was going
to release a new album and if I were interested I could ask for
a promo copy. Of course I was interested, I'm always interested,
but it obviously took some time to get the album released, as it
didn't hit the doormat until the first week of November. I threw
it in the player and... I was completely hooked from the moment
I did.
Joshua
works with three singers on this album. One being Alex
Ligertwood, another being one Jerry
Gabriel, and the third is Jason
Scheff. Gabriel has
the smoothest voice of the three, while Ligertwood's
voice is more raspy and soulful, a bit like Michael
Bolton in his prime. Scheff
has the voice with the sharpest edges. Personally I prefer Jerry's
voice but there's nothing wrong with the other two either.
The album almost never really
rocks out; especially the first part of the album is pretty laid
back. Towards the end it's getting a bit heavier, which is a bit
odd as most albums are built up completely the other way round.
Despite being the name giver of the band Mr.
Perahia never starts an ego trip anywhere. Instead his
playing is completely in support of the songs, which adds to the
high quality of the album.
Finally I'd like to point out
that the sound of the album is very good,
which is no wonder, as Keith Olsen
has been involved in the mix. Next to the great
songs, this gives the album just that little extra push
in the right direction.
Rating: MMMM�
Jordan Kallias -
Metal Reviews.com
www.metalreviews.com
The road to the future usually
leads through the past and Joshua albums Surrender and Intense
Defense have driven my boyhood in the 80's ... especially Surrender,
which I consider as one of the best ever hard rock albums of the
80's (thanks Paolo). This band, which had disappeared like magic
(in this case ... black magic), is back with a new record.
Unfortunately, this new album
has no relationship with the old ones. The lineup is not the same
(expect Joshua of course) and the music is also different compared
to Surrender and Intense Defense. In a word, Joshua
sounds today like Dare, playing
more ballads than hard rock songs. What a shame for the old fans!
On the other hand, this Something to
Say is good enough to bring new fans.
First and second tracks, "Remembering
You" & "Something to Say", are typical
ballads. The arrangements are wonderful
and so is the production: crystal clear and as usual
with Joshua records, the professional
touch from these Americans is again evident on Something To Say.
Well if you like AOR, with arrangement reminding you of Journey,
Dare or Styx and
if you have nothing against ballads, this
one is for you.
The Joshua
I knew (Surrender, Intense Defense) is dead and gone. It
is difficult for me to accept it, but that's life. At the end, this
reminds me the story of King Kobra
and Mark Free. These bands ruled in the 80's and I grew up in the
80's ... but we are not anymore in the 80's. When
I remember that this band (Joshua) was not able to play as an opening
act, because the headliners were afraid of them... Joshua
is dead, long live Joshua Perahia !
Rating: 75/100
Reader reviews from
Rock Tracks Magazine
www.rocktracks.de
DJ
Klaus (62.104.218.70) 11/2/101 at 0:32 AM
Joshua - they released the very sought after 'Intense Defense' album
many years ago. And the musical style is quite different today,
but much more matured, too. It's hard to describe, but it creates
the kind of vibe, the WorldStage album by Jim Peterik did to me
as well as the first AOR (Note - these are not similar bands). High
quality songs, very well produced. This is one of the
items people will watch out for quite a time, I think.
Rating: 80
HMS (64.175.222.190) 11/2/101 at 6:50 PM
I recently bought a copy of this CD from Buccaneer Records. My God!
You have under-estimated this album! David Coverdale should listen
to this opus and see how it's really done. And the guitar parts are
friggin' unreal! Rating:100 Best AOR (best
over ALL) in 2001! Everybody needs this puppy!
Rating : 100
Ive Michiels (212.239.130.124) 11/22/101 at 4:08
PM
Joshua released three classic albums in the eighties and although
most people like his first two albums most, I especially love Intense
defense because it mixed fantastic songs with Rob Rock's vocals and
the always impressive guitar playing by the maestro himself . In my
opinion this is a very underrated record because it’s definitely
one of the all-time classics. So you can imagine I was waiting with
much anticipation when I ordered a copy of the new album with AOR
Heaven. At first I was a little disappointed when I heard it but after
five spins it has grown allot on me. It’s just far more softer
than his previous releases, because Joshua now plays pure AOR with
some bluesy touches. I don't think it will end up in my top 10 of
2001 but with "Precious love" he has definitely released
one of the best songs of the year.
Rating: 85
Robbie Van's - Powerplay
Magazine Issue #30
An artist who has been out of the spotlight for awhile
would have to be Joshua Perahia
who fronted the band Joshua
in the eighties. He did re - surface briefly in the nineties with
his band M-Pire and that was
it. Well he's now about to release his first album of the new millenium
called "Something To Say" and judging by the sound of it
old Joshua's got plenty to say.
For a start he's toned down his playing and has adopted a more relaxed
style. The songs themselves have also been taken into a more classic
rock direction that is favoured by the likes of Moody/Marsden
period Whitesnake. And although
it may be different from past Joshua
releases it works and works well. He may also not have Bob
Rock in the band but in vocalist Jerry
Gabriel he has a more than adequate replacement. Songs
like "Something To Say", "I Can Feel Again", "Let Your Love Shine
Down" and "Steady Weapon" all show their class. Also
suprisingly this album has an almost pure AOR vein running down
it's middle which gives it an even classier feel. You could do a
lot worse than buy this classy album!
Gabor Kleinbloesem
- Strutter Magazine
JOSHUA
guitarist Joshua Perahia strikes back with a hot new CD release
entitled 'Something to say'. After releasing great AOR/Melodic rock
records in the 80s with JOSHUA
and in the mid 90s with MPIRE,
he now has a new project under his own name. Additional musicians
include vocalist Jerry Gabriel, bassist Joey Rochrich, drummer Eric
Stoskopf and lead singers Alex Ligertwood (SANTANA) and Jason Scheff
(CHICAGO). Musically it is very AOR inspired, with a lot of (semi)
ballads and not too many rockers, but still there's some Hard rock
a la WHITESNAKE, but like I said the album is mainly focused on
pure AOR (Ballads). The production is superb, and that's due to
the fact that KEITH OLSEN (FIONA, PREVIEW, KINGDOM COME, SCORPIONS…)
is the producer of this album.
The recording took place in the
M&K Studios. I can also inform you that this is a high quality
AOR record, with some beautiful melodies in each and every song,
so nothing stands in the way to give this album a big recommendation!
First, I would like to tell you about the songs. Opener "Remembering
You" (co-written by SHOUTer
KEN TAMPLIN) is a fantastic
emotional 80s type semi AOR ballad a la JOURNEY and SURVIVOR. Up
next is "Something To Say", a song that starts calm, but
later turns out to be a great up-tempo AOR rocker a la 38
SPECIAL. The CD continues with the bluesy AOR ballad
"I Can Feel Again", a track that reminds me of WHITESNAKE.
Then comes one of my favorite tracks, the superb classy (typical)
mid tempo AOR song "Precious Love" (a la STREET
TALK, BAD ENGLISH, and JOURNEY).
The only let-down of the CD is
the west coast pop ballad "The first and the last", although
the song has a nice guitar solo by Joshua, it just falls a bit out
of place between the 'Rock/AOR' material on the rest of the CD.
"Let your love shine down" follows and is a nice WHITESNAKE
type bluesy Hard rock song. We're back into pure AOR
with the lovely up-tempo AOR/Radio-rocker "Guiding Light"
(like JOURNEY and CHANNEL).
"It hasn't been easy" is just a nice rocker, but the following
two songs are again quite sensational. First there's the good semi
melodic rock ballad "Tears of Joy" (with some bluesy influences).
And then there's the
fantastic AOR ballad "One Night is Not Enough", and with
the right promotion an instant hit for any chart worldwide!
"Steady Weapon" follows and is a good semi melodic rocker.
The CD closes with the acoustic version of the first track "Remembering
You". Concluded I can only advise you to buy
this CD a.s.a.p. as it smells like a high
quality AOR record. It's a bit different than JOSHUA,
but still very AORish, check it out for yourself!
Rating: 8.5/10
Frank Stover
- Take It Magazine
Surrender / Something
To Say (M&K Sound Entertainment)
A great song remains
a great song. That also goes for the re-recorded JOSHUA
ballad 'Remembering You', which opens (and closes) the man's
comeback album "Something To Say",
his first musical sign of life ever since 1995's M-PIRE
release. The track originally appeared on the excellent and nowadays
pretty much sought after "Intense Defense" album from 1988.
Back then power vocalist Rob Rock
was still in the band, today former SANTANA
man Alex Ligertwood enriches Perahia's new version with his excellent
voice. But Ligertwood is only one of the vocalists to be heard on
the twelve featured tracks. CHICAGO's Jason
Sheff and the actual frontman
Jerry Gabriel joined forces as well so that the very
well produced offering (Keith Olsen) became a nicely balanced mixture
of emotional soulful songs, bluesy elements, straight ahead rock
and AOR. This combination works out completely well and impressed
me quite a lot. Unlike many AOR fans, I've never been a big fan
of JOSHUA's old AOR / melodic rock material (the incredible
"Intense
Defense" album is an
exception to the rule here…), so I won't complain about those
new elements in the songwriting. It's actually more vice versa.
Compared to the re-released "Surrender" album, which I personally
consider as kinda average, "Something To Say" is exciting,
relaxed, but also very energetic at the same time. From a lot of
very good ballad type songs to typical AOR tunes ("Precious
Love" is THE perfect example here), West Coast compositions
('The First And The Last') to heavy WHITESNAKE
/ (early) GOTTHARD material
(just listen to "Let Your Love Shine Down") you'll
get the whole musical spectrum combined onto one disk. So, all in
all this is a very promising comeback, worth to be checked out (even
though it's strange to see an old buddy from my hometown playing
bass...). And in case you feel the need to complete your collection
afterwards, "The Hand Is Quicker Than The Eye", "Chapter One"
and (as already mentioned) "Surrender" have all been re-released
as well. For all further information contact Steve Brownlee
of M&K Sound Entertainment at [email protected]
Serge De Rous -
The Rock Report
Many of you might remember
Joshua Perahia for his mid 80's "Surrender" release that
is now considered one of time's better guitar driven albums. From
his first ever release, a 6-track mini album, it was clear that
Joshua knew his way around a guitar, but when 1988's "Intense
Defense", the follow-up to "Surrender", failed to reach
the same level of success things went silent on the Joshua Perahia
front. It took 7 years before the silence was broken with the release
of "Chapter One" from his new band Mpire. It was obvious
that Joshua was trying to recapture some of his past glory with
the Mpire album, but when it failed to make any lasting impression
on melodic rock fans worldwide, he once again vanished without a
trace. But now he makes his return to the spotlight with "Something
To Say", a fine AOR/melodic rock album that will
get thumbs up from any fan of the genre. Joining Joshua on this
release are former Mpire members Joey Rochrich
(bass) and Eric Stoskopf (drums)
and new kid in town Jerry Gabriel on vocals.
Jerry takes care of business on 8 of the 12 tracks on offer, while
guest vocalist Alex Ligertwood
is featured on the remaining 4. Although both gentlemen have very
different voices, they perfectly fit the AOR/melodic rock that is
included here. Drummer Mugs Cain
(brother of Jonathan Cain) and bass player
Jason Scheff (Chicago) are 2 more guest musicians
that make an appearance on the album while the well-known Keith
Olsen (Foreigner, Night Ranger, Sammy Hagar, Ozzy Osbourne,
Whitesnake) mixed the whole affair. The
end result is a very slick sounding disc and a fine return
to action from Mr Joshua Perahia.
(January 2002)
KNAC Radio
http://www.knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=577
Wayne Klingere -
BallBuster Hard Rock Magazine
Okay....the sixth release?
I wonder where I was during the others? Never fails to find a band
that just sneaks by you over a period of time! Joshua
Perahia has been around quite some time with his other
bands Jaguar, which I've heard of and another one just called Joshua,
which had some success in the early 90's. The band itself is an
AOR/Melodic Rock style which is definately 80's; you hear the Whitesnake/Firehouse
kind of ballads and songstyles but Joshua
plays one bitchin' guitar! I was truly hooked on the
leads but this 12-track CD has other goodies to offer like a new
vocalist, Jerry Gabriel (ex-Wasted
Angel,Tower and Fortune), guest musicians, Alex
Ligertwood and Richard Baker
from Santana and seasoned producer, Keith Olsen, noted for his works
with the Scorpions, Fleetwood Mac, and again, Santana. The other
members of the band also have distinctive backgrounds in the European
circuit, so this isn't any "walk in the park" for listening.
You may love or hate the 80's no matter how old you are but bands
in this era musically were easier to identify than compared to now--HANDS
DOWN! This style has been making a comeback for years and people
need to take the time out and listen to
real songwriting and guitar solos with emotion,and great vocals,
and just not thrown-together material for an easy buck. JP shows
all the elements of a hard-working band with results....and "something
to say".
Brian Coles - ElectricBasement.com
online magazine
www.electricbasement.com
JOSHUA
PERIAH is not only the name
of the band, but also the name of its veteran guitarist and songwriter.
He also led the band Jaguar in the early 90s. Joshua Periah, the
band, is now resting on its sixth release, with many international
Gold records under their belt. They are hard to dismiss with a production
team that includes Keith Olsen (Whitesnake, Fleetwood Mac) and a
strong AOR sound that recalls the tender
side of the 80s melodic hard rock. Rarely barnstorming
but always energetic in a lofty way,
the disc is a series of drifting guitar atmospherics, caressing
riffs and spot-on rugged vocals
by Jerry Gabriel. Highlights
include the epic title track, which bears more crunch than most
of the others, along with "Precious Love" which
recalls the Police's "Every Breath" in its pulsating bass
line, though in the end, a totally different vibe. "Let Your
Love Shine" down literally is a sunshiny track, making the
most of your capacities for carefree rock 'n' roll melody. "It
Hasn't Been Easy" is a nice corker, taking the Whitesnake-ish
route and giving the album enough punch to warrant a couple cross
overs genre-wise.
Because the
disc is so expansive and layered, it will take many listeners
time to distinguish the carry of some hooks over others. This is
not one that will meet you half way. You have to go get it and wrestle
it down, taking the time to stare it in the eyes and understand
it. Its a grower!
Score: 3.5
/ 5
K. Morg - The World
of Heavy Metal online magazine
Joshua (now Joshua Perahia)
returns in 2001, not only re-releasing most of their back catalogue,
but also with a new album. And another
great album it is. In my opinion even
better than their previous (when they were called M-Pire).
Mr. Perahia really knows how to write excellent melodic hard rock.
Beautiful songs, that stand the test of time. I can't really see
the reason why he re-recorded "Remembering You" twice
for this record, other than it's an awesome ballad, though. The
original version on "Intense Defense" is way better than
both versions on this one. The lyrics on STS is more about Joshua's
beliefs that on any of his previous albums. I truly love this album,
as it has grown to be one of my favorites by this band (together
with "Intense Defense").
Killer tracks:
Something To Say, Precious Love, Guiding Light
Norman A. Lima -
Christian Rock Brazil Magazine
www.christianrock.hpg.ig.com.br/page1.html
Faz tanto tempo que não
ouço algo assim, com tanto sentimentos! Eu já ouvi
falar muito sobre o Joshua e a primeira vez que ouvi sua música,
foi quando comprei uma coletânea, de metal cristão
chamada, Righteous Metal II. Que tinha a música Crying
Out For Love, que pra minha surpresa, era o talentoso Rob
Rock que cantava essa música. Quando recebi esse CD (Something
To Say), fiquei meio pensativo... Primeiro analisando, o fato de
uma grande banda como Joshua Perahia, mandar uma cópia de
seu trabalho para ser comentado nesse humilde E-zine... Pra quem
ainda não tem uma definição correta, do que
é hard rock, eis aqui seu melhor exemplo, melodicamente!
Jerry é um excelente vocalista e sabemos que técnica
não significa tudo e portanto, ele aprendeu muito bem como
fazer com que suas músicas dêem aquela mexidinha no
coração. ( Preste atenção em letras,
como I Can Feel Again, Precious Love). Joshua Perahia, é
autentico em seus solos ultraviajantes, deixando o lado de virtuosismo
e dando lugar a partes mais emocionantes, que é manter a
melodia. Só espero que ainda me restem tempo pra compra todos
os álbuns que o Joshua Perahia, já lançou.
Eu tinha em meu coração fazer uma review mais apurada
desse álbum, por ele ter se tornado um de meus favoritos,
mas agora I dont have something more to say.E se você
ama mesmo música, então meu amigo, é mais que
uma obrigação,ter algo asssim em sua coleção...
Veja mais detalhes sobre a banda em sua homepage: www.joshuaperahia.com
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