Sunday 8 July 2012

Maryann Cotton - Free Falling Angels (2012)

Genre - Hard Rock / Classic Rock / Shock Rock
Label - Pure Steel Records

Track listing -

01 - Heaven Send For Me
02 - Never Waste Land
03 - Crazy
04 - Get It On
05 - Free Falling Angels
06 - Night Train To Paris
07 - Die In Britain
08 - Miss Misery
09 - Shock Me
10 - The One
11 - "Maryann"

"Free Falling Angels" is the debut CD of MARYANN COTTON, a new rock act from Denmark combining former members of King Diamond's band with a young and promising Scandinavian singer one Jackie Patino, also known as the shocking Maryann Cotton.
Jackie took the name Marryann Cotton from a disturbed British woman who killed over 20 people in London back in the 1850. Mary Ann Cotton was found guilty of poisoning many people including various lovers and husbands. She was convicted and hung in 1873 at the age of 40, ohh well thats enough history, what about the music?
Well featuring the likes of his father, Hal Patino, the fairly famous bassist from who has been in King Diamond, Force Of Evil and Pretty Maids.and various other well known names from the Danish metal scene such as Snowy Shaw (drums), Pete Blakk (guitar) Andy LaRocque (guitar) and Sebastain Sly (guitar), the band is filled with some pretty heavy weight metal hitters, but the strange thing is that Free Falling Angels isnt a metal album at all! It has more of a classic hard rock, old school Alice Cooper feel to it, in fact Marryann's vocals bear more than just a passin resemblence to the vocals of the aforementioned Mr Cooper, as can be heard from the albums opening track "Heaven Send For Me"!
Among the interesting tracks on this CD we have the first single "Shock Me", a punchy Hard Rock number with nice orchestration and rhythm. "Night Train To Paris" is heavier than the average rock ballad yet also commercial and catchy at the same time. Easily delivered, this song puts a smile on you face.
I can say nearly the same on "Get It On", which is more snappy and energetic, and "Miss Misery" that took a bluesy turn and patched it up together with little shards of Metal and Rock.
Anyone who has ever heard an Alice Cooper album from late seventies will instantly recognize many of the musical components, but that is really awesome because no one is doing that these days, not even Alice himself. If you listen carefully you can find as well bits of Kiss, Queen and Meatloaf scattered in the album.
With "Free Falling Angels" Maryann Cotton is trying to revive the lost days of theatrical, shocking rock, and success for the most part.

Jackie Patino graces his 'Maryann Cotton' character with multi-facted and multi-dimensional vocals - not in the sense of wide range or power - just in the way this kind of material needs; sometimes sings, sometimes whispers, sometimes croons, but always in a precise retro fashion that suits the song perfectly.
The musicians backing Cotton are also doing a fine work on this recording, and altough all come from a metal background they are experienced and play this style with ease.
Production is really top notch, there really is a lot going on in the music and the production captures it all so very well. The sound is very polished and crafted to create the spooky atmosphere.
"Free Falling Angels" is a very interesting release framed into the almost disappeared shock rock, with a 2012 updated sound but containing all the roots from the famous '70s and '80s bands in this genre.
If you are fan of early Alice Cooper albums, and wonder why he just isnt putting albums out like that anymore then check this beauty out, you are going to love it!

A great solid debut album well worth checking out!

Rating - 10/10



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