Canadian hard rockers DANIEL BAND are undoubtedly one of the pioneering forces behind ’80s American Christian Hard Rock.
They debuted in 1982 with ‘On Rock’, and subsequently recorded four albums. Despite its arena rock hooks and heat, surprisingly attracted limited attention largely due to bad mangement and promotion.
Daniel Band has never officially broken up, although a farewell concert was held in Toronto, Canada in 1988. The band has reformed for the occasional gig over the years, including the 2001 Cornerstone Festival appearance that was recorded and released on CD. The band members have also been involved with various side projects including vocalist McCabe’s project Dreamer.
Their last album “Running Out Of Time…” is a very good and catchy Melodic Hard Rock album which finds the band turning their sound to a more commercial and radio oriented material, with the typical essence of the time when was recorded (1987).
Vocalist Dan McCabe is a top performer with his trademark clean and smooth high end style, which has often garnered Daniel Band comparison to countrymen Triumph and April Wine, and also Americans Y & T / Dokken. The stadium-rock muscle is provided by guitarist Tony Rossi, who delivers cruchy Dokken-esque rhythm guitars and incendiary solos.
If you aren’t Christian don’t worry about the lyrics, singer McCabe once confessed to Cornerstone Magazine; “We are not musicians who preach, just believers who happen to be musicians”.
The driving hard rocker “Black Or White” gets things going. A track with walls of slugging guitars and perseverant mid-paced momentum playing the lead role.
It’s followed by the melodic hard rocker “Sins Of The Heart”, full of step forward backing vocals to sustain its memorable chorus while McCabe’s pristine vocals help accent the ardent scene. Again, Rossi is all over the place with his licks and chops.
“Hold On” trends towards melodic hard rock / AOR territory highlighting a strong keyboard line and upbeat impetus. The song evenly flows its distance to a radio friendly emphasis and layers of underpinning guitars in just the right amounts (enhancing but not dominating).
“Long Time” is one of the best tracks of the album. The song takes a resonant semi-ballad heading, slowly maneuvering its verses to gently done guitars only to abruptly pick up in pace as a stalwart guitar steps forward to join with its imposing chorus. Each Daniel Band album has one or two songs that cannot help but make you say: ‘Man, this is good as it gets’ and such is the case with one. Pure ’80s magic.
“Party In Heaven” proves another mid-paced hard rock but reinforced by a bluesy focus (in terms of darker guitar tones) and vigorous rhythm section.
Returning to melodic hard rock is “We Need Love”, a track with a great hook and a hair metal scent, while “Greedy Little Hands” showcases an equal joining of catchy commerciality and heaviness.
Then the title track is an ’80s little gem. A pristine melodic hard rock tune with a golden riff and a killer melody. Love it.
For years, “Running Out Of Time” was nearly impossible to score on CD, outside of poor bootlegs. Originally when released, the album was horribly mixed and mastered. That, however, has dramatically changed in 2012, as finally “Running Out Of Time” has been re-mastered and re-issued by Retroactive Records.
The remastering provides a much needed facelift in that the highs now come across better defined and low-end that much more thicker and weightier. In listening to the two versions side by side, this Retroactive CD almost sounds as if Daniel Band returned to the studio and re-recorded the album from scratch (yes, the difference is that pronounced).
This reissue (first time officially on CD) also includes a bonus track titled “One”. The sound quality of this new, more modern recording is a bit different than the ’80s material. However, the style of the song fits in perfectly with the classic Daniel Band sound; melodic, edgy hard rock with McCabe’s signature vocals and some smokin’ guitar licks from Rossi.
If you never heard about Daniel Band, start with this one, you won’t be disappointed,
Very Recommended.
01 – Black Or White
02 – Sins Of The Heart
03 – Hold On
04 – Long Time
05 – Party In Heaven
06 – We Need Love
07 – Greedy Little Hands
08 – Things Are Changing
09 – Running Out Of Time
10 – One (2012 bonus track)
Dan McCabe – Lead Vocals, Bass & Keyboards
Toni Rossi – Guitars, Vocals
Bill Findlay – Guitars, Synthesizers
Matt Delduca – Drums, Backing Vocals