Chris Manning – Destination - Reviewed At Zware Metalen! Check it out here at this link: https://zwaremetalen.com/albumrecensies/chris-manning-destination
If, as a longtime Kiss fan, you have the opportunity to review a CD on which an ex- Kiss member is participating, you will of course jump right on top. In this case it is Bruce Kulick, providing a substantial contribution to Destination by Chris Manning.
Bruce Kulick was very well known to me, Chris Manning was not. He turns out to be a skilled and talented guitarist, songwriter and session musician from Dallas. So this is not about a fixed group, but rather a project. At Destination he is assisted by singer Chris Hodges, who you may know from the Linkin Park tribute band In The End . Session drummer Max Salidi and studio bassist Dan Hawkins also provide the rhythm section.
And so Bruce Kulick. Eternally friendly Bruce manned Kiss between 1984 and 1996, during the makeup-free period. A very decent guitarist, but with a distinctly different sound than his predecessors Ace Frehley or Vinnie Vincent. In the meantime, he has been making beautiful weather at Grand Funk Railroad for years . On this CD, Bruce Kulick takes on the role of “creative consultant” and provides the lead guitar on Start Over Now .
None of those names can be called recent or modern. Destination does not profile itself that way either, because Chris Manning 's guitar style goes towards older groups such as Alice In Chains , Led Zeppelin , Black Sabbath , Deep Purple ...
All those influences do result in a mixed bag of styles. Opener Sharp is a solid mid-tempo rocker, where the powerful throat of Chris Hodges shows what he has to offer and where he occasionally sounds like a young Vince Neil. Sharp is followed by Get Me Out , a cool, hip-swaying, bluesy stamper in which you can hear the greasy riffs of a Raging Slab , as well as the funky bass line of Alannah Myles and her Black Velvet (let that be a little flashback to the 1989 charts ).
And then the aforementioned Start Over Now follows , with lead guitar by Bruce Kulick on his 1953 Les Paul. The grunge sound takes over here, with references to the dark-sounding Carnival of Souls CD by Kiss from 1997. Push wouldn't look out of place in the work of Mötley Crüe . Ascendant is bathed in a Kingdom Come atmosphere. And so you can make a link for each of the eleven songs, except perhaps for the instrumental Collider .
That means variation, but at the same time that is Destination 's weak point : you miss “unity” and “individuality”. Recognizable is Chris Manning then be: his guitar sound is striking. All in all a nice snack, this Destination, but this won't really break pots.
Score:
75/100
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RELEASE DATE - November 11, 2020
NoLifeTilMetal Records is proud to announce the signing of Dallas guitarist, songwriter, and session player Chris Manning as well as the release of his new album “ Destination ” due out November 11th.
“Chris Manning is an exceptional guitarist and musician.” - Steve Mueller ( Mesa/Boogie LTD )
Dallas guitarist Chris Manning ( Dvinity , Chris Manning Band, The Zeppelin Project ) returns November 11th with his new album “ Destination ” featuring 11 new AOR, melodic rock songs combining Manning’s signature guitar style with the talents of Hollywood vocalist extraordinaire Chris Hodges ( Neptune Blue, In The End: Linkin Park tribute ). Manning and Hodges collaborate on a wide range of tracks covering many different styles including “ Start Over Now ”, a stand-out track in the melodic hard rock genre that features the guitar wizardry of legendary KISS/Grand Funk guitarist Bruce Kulick . In addition to his contributions to one track, Bruce Kulick was also the album’s creative consultant.
Check out the brand new debut single “ Start Over Now ” featuring special guest Bruce Kulick .
“ Chris Manning is a talented guitarist with a unique style and approach. He is capable of playing his instrument with fluid movements, using his dynamic touch of picking technique and creative chord voicing. His playing excels in his compositions and takes the listener into the colorful ‘World of Manning’. Enjoy his music as he truly explores a full rainbow spectrum of color on this new release.” - Bruce Kulick
Chris Hodges is an in-demand vocalist and songwriter with credits that include Paramount Music, Sony, MTV, a licensing deal through 411 Music Group as well as a song on the upcoming Top Gun II soundtrack.
“Hodges’s vocals blew me away. The tone, control, and range of his voice are on par or better than many of the top male rock vocalists out there.” - The Examiner Magazine
Joining Manning & Hodges are UK session pro drummer Max Salidi and ace UK studio bassist Dan Hawkins who provide a top-flight rhythm section for Manning’s melodic guitar and Hodge’s intense, dynamic vocals. Special guests include legendary KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick , vocalist Chandler Mogel (Outloud, Punky Meadows (Angel), Pareidolia) , bassist Rick Read (Herd of Instincts, David Gallegos, The Zeppelin Project), and songwriter Tim Beamguard (Highway 31).
As an artist with a wide-variety of musical tastes, Chris Manning’s music remains difficult to categorize. His versatile guitar style balances technique and melody appealing to fans of Alice in Chains, Led Zeppelin, George Lynch, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, KISS, and King’s X . In addition to “Destination”, Manning has released four guitar-oriented albums spanning multiple genres and was featured in Guitar Player magazine (Dec 2008). He is also a founding member of The Zeppelin Project , one of the top Zeppelin tributes in Texas. Over the past 10 years Manning has traveled throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas, and Missouri playing shows with The Zeppelin Project, The Hindenburg Project, and his original band and has shared stages with Drowning Pool, George Lynch and Lynch Mob, Michael Schenker, Yngwie Malmsteen, Dokken, Stephen Pearcy (Ratt), and Dangerous Toys.
The new album is now available for pre order at No Life Til Metal Records and the full release will be available everywhere on November 11th 2020.
CD Pre Order:
www.NoLifeTilMetalRecords.com
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Contact zach@metaldevastationradio.com
