Doogie White has been busy. He’s expanded a previously released album, while forming a new project called Long Shadows Dawn.
A onetime vocalist for Rainbow and Michael Schenker, White’s first (and so far only) solo disc originally came out in 2011. As Yet Untitled is now paired with a second disc in which the Scottish singer covers songs by Whitesnake, Iron Maiden and others.
It’s obvious White’s hard-hitting style meshes well with the guests onboard on both discs, including fellow Rainbow expat Tony Carey on keyboards, guitarists like Neil Murray (Whitesnake, Black Sabbath) and Greg Smith (veteran Alice Cooper sideman and also a Rainbow alum) and singer Patti Russo (Meatloaf).
“Come Taste the Band” was written in the style of Deep Purple, and could have easily fit with that band’s album of the same name. “Dreams Lie Down and Die” is a classic hard-rock tune, the pounding rhythms relieved by White’s powerful voice. “Lonely” is anything but, a propulsive rocker whose sound invites you to party with all your friends.
Two original tracks didn’t make the initial edition of As Yet Untitled, and it’s hard to understand why. “Dishing the Dirt” is a bouncy but hard-rocking tune that would have fit perfectly alongside the rest of the recording. The massed vocals on the choruses and the guitar solo give it a welcome push. “Small Town Saturday Night” is a gentle song that provides some much-needed breathing space. Both are actually among the best cuts.
The companion covers album is a bit more uneven. “Let’s Spend the Night Together” is so familiar that any deviation just sounds wrong, and Doogie White’s leads and the backing vocals simply can’t improve on the original. “Not Fade Away” fares better, with the harmonica playing off White’s vocal – or maybe it’s the other way around. Who woulda thunk Buddy Holly was a great metal composer?
Nazareth’s “Love Hurts” is given a respectful treatment – more than the slight song really deserves. “Twisting the Night Away” is a blast, taking the immortal Sam Cooke song a couple decades into the future: It’s a perfect ’70s hard rock cover choice, yet here in the 2020s doesn’t sound dated at all.
Meanwhile, Doogie White is also releasing a new recording under the name Long Shadows Dawn with Emil Norberg. The guitarist was a mainstay of the Swedish metal band Persuader, which released five albums between 2000 and 2020. Serafino Perugino, president of Frontiers Records, paired the two with a vision of mixing the styles of ’70s and ’80s hard rock and heavy metal, as did bands such as Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow – Doogie White’s onetime employer.
Best bets on Isle of Wrath are “Star Rider,” where the rhythms are subtler, though White’s voice isn’t, and “Steeltown,” Norberg’s guitar lines complementing the vocalist. The syncopation and keyboard/guitar interplay make “Steeltown” another highlight.
It’s hard to tell whether White’s voice has deepened or if it’s just recorded better here, but his vocals are strong and under control. The result is another rocking album that may not differ significantly from others out there, but serves its purpose well.
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