LAST TEMPTATION: Last Temptation (HARD ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Peter Sheithauer may be an unknown guitarist, but he has a long CV like the directory of former students of the Guitar Institute of Technology in Los Angeles from which he came. Sideman for bands as diverse as Kiss, Megadeth, Testament, Slayer and many others, he is also the founder of Stream, Killing Machine and Temple Of Brutality. His new project, Last Temptation, picks up where he left off in 1997, when he recorded the album "Nothing Is Sacred" with Stream, Bob Daisley, bass player of Gary Moore and Ozzy Osbourne. Moreover, the line-up of Last Temptation's first album brings together several hard & heavy stars of the 70s and 80s, including, in addition to Bob Daisley, drummer Vinny Appice (Dio, Black Sabbath) and keyboardist Don Airey (Deep Purple, Rainbow). It is therefore on a resolutely hard rock and heavy metal foundation that the Last Temptation project is based, whose music is nourished by the essential influences of Ozzy Osbourne and Dio.

Under these conditions, the choice to engage El Butcho (Watcha, Yann Armellino & El Butcho) is an excellent surprise. On the one hand because he is probably the most underrated French hard rock singer and on the other hand because his vocal performances largely compare to Ozzy ('Fast And Fast','Lock Into Myself'). But, in addition to Butcho Vukovic's impeccable vocal performance, the album's interest also rests enormously on Peter Sheithauer's guitarist talent, which multiplies heavy riffs ('I Win I Lose') and supersonic and sharp solos. Halfway between Slayer's thrash dissonances ('How I Am') and Yngwie Mamsteen's neo-classical flights ('Coming For You'), his flamboyant and very (too?) demonstrative playing brings all their salt to relatively average titles, which often struggle to detach themselves from the influence of the Prince Of Darkness ('Nobody Is Free','Coming For You').

This is the main criticism we can make of the album as a whole. Last Temptation's music is a little too referenced to really hit and the compositions, based on fairly repetitive tempos, lack too many melodic and catchy phrases and unifying choruses to convince. On the other hand, the band has chosen a very roots production and to limit overdubs as much as possible. But this bias, although justified to create a lively and frontal music, is at times counterproductive due to a production that is a little too confusing ('The Exit').

Nevertheless, let's hope that this first album will be the beginning of a more ambitious adventure in terms of musical style and richness of composition. The members of Last Temptation have enough experience and mastery to give this new super band the dimension it deserves, provided that the busy schedules of each musician do not disrupt the project. On our side, in any case, we will follow its evolution closely. - Official website

LAST TEMPTATION

LAST TEMPTATION

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HARD ROCK