Stephen Continuing their journey with "One Ticket To Paradise" that was released exactly two years after their highly praised eponymous debut, Hungryheart tried to explore further with an enriched musical variation, spanning from the typical melodic rock sound of Terra Nova, Bon Jovi, and Journey to the guitar-based hard rock style of Mr.Big, Lynch Mob, and Firehouse. Leaving only two original members, leader Mario Percudani and singer Josh Zighetti, Hungryheart steps up to a better stage through an improved musicianship and consistent songwriting.

The first two tracks are a real deal opener, "Stand Up" is a wonderful midtempo melodic rock with a well-crafted Verse/Chorus and could be your instant favorite while the title track revealed sparkling guitar exploitation and when you hear the infectious monstrous chorus, you'll know this is going to be one of their best tracks here. The band also threw several mandatory ballads such as the acoustical-driven of "Let Somebody Love You", "A Million Miles Away", and the relaxing "You Won't Be Alone". I found all three are okay but nothing's extraordinary, looks like the band had been focusing on the uptempo side such as the enigmatic and moody "Let's Keep On Tryin'" or the furious "Get Lost", both are awesome. While I think the earlier "Gina" cover is quite decent, Hungryheart unleashed their optimal effort on Michael Jackson's "Man In The Mirror" cover here. Surprisingly, this is a very good rendition of a classic tune, and sounded even better than the original.

The production is very good, the choice of alternating lead vocals is inspiring, and Percudani’s killer guitar handling is always the highlight of this band. "One Ticket From Paradise" has a potent formula to compete in the melodic rock sector and clearly warranted no less than 4-stars. Judging from a linear growth from their debut, I predict Hungryheart will deliver an even better release in the future, perhaps their masterpiece.

Bottomline : A step up to a higher place

Stephen Hungryheart is the Italian's answer to the fertile growth of Scandinavian's melodic rock scene, an acclaimed proof that western Europe has the guts to preserve the glorious sound of the olden days. Led by guitarist Mario Percudani, Hungryheart brought back the classic melodic rock sound of the late 80s which popularized by the likes of Bon Jovi, Firehouse, Journey, and White Lion.

Out of eleven tracks presented here, I can say that almost all songs here are pretty much enjoyable, especially if you like those bands mentioned above. "Rock City" is a wonderful anthemic opener, the energy is obvious and the melodic tones are everywhere, definitely a powerful starter. "Stealing The Night" is a beautiful radio friendly midtempo track, along with other numbers such as "The Only One", "Breath Away", and "It Takes Two". Couple of ballads thrown here are good with "Innocent Tears" borrowing Europe's intro and came out better compared to "Hang On To Me" which ran too long and could easily bored the listeners.

What I admired here is the exceptional guitar delivery and riffs construction, beside the very good crafted songs, but my complaint is the lack of pitch control performed by Josh Zighetti. He actually has a very good raspy voice, sitting between Rod Stewart and Steve Lee, but the spottable out-of-key singing is buggy at times. Other than that, Hungryheart is an amazing effort by the quartet and a solid career starter.

Bottomline : A fun nostalgic ride to the past