Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 07/18/2006
Former
Helloween lead singer
Michael Kiske returns with the surprising self-titled debut from
Place Vendome. In place of
Helloween's thrashy
speed metal, a sound that helped pave the way for both
Pantera and their followers and the
Scandinavian death metal scene,
Place Vendome is considerably more melodic.
Place Vendome is in no way a
metal album; instead, it's crisp '80s-style
AOR/
hard rock with glossy, commercial sound. Currently unfashionable bands along the lines of
Styx and
Night Ranger are
Kiske's touchstones on songs like the catchy single
"I Will Be Waiting" and the obligatory lighters-aloft power ballad
"Heaven's Door." His primary cohort,
Pink Cream 69 leader
Uwe Reitenauer, does occasionally scuff up the pristine surfaces of the songs with some chunky, distorted guitar riffs, but the overall effect is no more
metal than, say,
Ted Nugent's contributions to
Damn Yankees. Fans of old-school FM
rock will approve of
Place Vendome, but die-hard
Helloween fans should listen before they buy.
~Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
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