Regardless of how long it took him (nearly 15 years, in fact) to return from his self-imposed musical exile, those familiar with singer Midnight's earlier work with
Crimson Glory would know to expect something progressive, eclectic, and unconventional from his first solo album, 2005's
Sakada. They won't be disappointed on any of those counts when faced with the nine tracks presented here, but whether they'll find the songwriting compelling enough to make up for the singer's lingering eccentricities -- ranging from alternately goofy and impenetrable lyrics, to unfocused meanderings, to a still love-it-or-hate-it sense of pitch behind his keening shrieks -- is another matter. First track "Incubus" attempts to illustrate its dreamlike horror by stacking Midnight's echoing ululations over stuttering hard rock power chords; the subsequent world music candidate "Berber Trails" takes listeners across the Sahara aboard nomadic Tuareg caravans; and the next, "Little Mary Sunshine," delves in goth lite-metal before ceding the floor to a poor man's take on
Led Zeppelin III called "Miss Katie." "War" sounds like old
Crimson Glory aping
Queensrÿche (again); "Pain" applies disruptive time changes to commercial hard rock; the title ballad fuses psychedelic beatitudes with swirling flutes and Spanish guitars; "Lost Boy" repeats the trick, minus the flute and memorable hooks; and the closing "Cat Song" emulates
Guns N' Roses during their acoustic black comedy days. A little bit of everything, in other words, Midnight's music will still sound half-baked and downright weird at times when compared to its obvious source material, but you'll have to admit it sure beats the hell out of most stodgy heavy rock albums from un-retired '80s frontmen. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia