Kev Rowland Whitesnake. For many, and it must be said that I include myself in this number, the only valid entity allowed to really carry off that name was the one which had Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden involved. Back then they were a blues-based rock band and the music they pumped out was superb, with their ‘Live… In Heart of the City’ album absolutely indispensable. But that is a very long time in the past, and by the time of ‘1987’ they had reinvented themselves and produced an album which has rightfully been declared one of the very finest hard rock albums of all time. That was the first album to feature Tommy Aldridge on the skins, and all these years later he is still there. Guitarist Reb Beach, who originally joined Whitesnake in 2002, has stepped up to become the group’s bandleader and guides the band to implement Coverdale’s musical vision. As well as bringing his impressive musical chops to the band, Reb has co-written five songs on the new album, the fourth studio album he has appeared on, commencing with 2008’s highly acclaimed ‘Good To Be Bad’. Joel Hoekstra joined on guitar four years ago in time for ‘The Purple Album’, and co-wrote six of the songs, while the line-up is completed by bassist Michael Devin who first appeared on ‘Forevermore’ in 2011, and new keyboard player Michele Luppi, who made his live debut in 2015.

I had to do some research to come up with that, as I long ago lost interest in a band I followed intently in my teenage years. I even went to see Company of Snakes and bemoaned the demise of the band I used to love so much, so when this arrived, I knew it was going to be interesting as I don’t think I have ever reviewed the band. What was I going to say about the 68-year-old permanently permed and tanned Yorkshireman? I wasn’t going to like the album, that was sure, but I’d better give it a play, I guess.

So, I put it on, and realised much to my initial annoyance that there were some really good songs on here and I was starting to enjoy it. Coverdale’s voice is just as good as ever, and even though he doesn’t sing the blues like he used to, there is very much that element in his sound that is very different to the rest of the singers around. If they hit a note, it feels much more like he has hit a chord, and then there are songs like “Trouble Is Your Middle Name” which contains elements of his old style mixed in with the new and it is damn fine indeed. The band are cooking, and while there are times when they do fall into the trap of generic hard rock, Coverdale is always there to lift them out. The result is me playing and enjoying a new Whitesnake album for the first time in 30 years. I must confess it has got me wondering what the last few releases were like, as they are a band I have been deliberately avoiding. This may not be the Moody/Marsden or Sykes era any more, but the result is a damn fine listen all the same.

Stephen 'Forevermore' was divided by two different opinions. Fans of '1987' and 'Slip of The Tongue' will probably only like half of the songs inside while fans of classic Whitesnake will dig it better because this album explored their pre-commercial era and combined it with the latest modern elements from 'Good To Be Bad'. The bluesy touch is obvious, the heavier riffs are there, but they also didn’t forget to include the easy-listening feel to balance the whole album.

'Steal Your Heart Away' is a brilliant opener but I don't think 'All Out of Luck' is a better follow-up. They should have been put the first single, 'Love Will Set You Free' or 'Dogs In The Street' to keep the momentum up. For those who love ballads, 'Easier Said Than Done' is stunning, 'Fare Thee Well' also a great slow acoustical track while 'One of These Days' is faster in tempo and also lovable.

'I Need You (Shine A Light)' will definitely be fans favorites. The joyous vibe in midtempo with commercial feel is a safe to everyone's ears and one of the strongest tunes here. 'My Evil Ways' wrecks some havoc in heavy riffs and crashing drums, what a beautiful tune. The title track moves in with classic Zeppelin style and strangely I can see Sting also fits perfectly to sing this song.

Coverdale still has amazing vocal at his 60s, even though not as high as it used to be, but it's normal considering his age. The production is great, the bass level is quite high so you might want to tune your EQ for optimal enjoyment. Aldrich / Beach killer guitars are another highlight of modern day Whitesnake and enhanced the overall value of the band and album. Another strong record by the Snake and deserved a solid 85% from me.

Time Signature Rock will set you free...

Genre: hardrock

Whitesnake's musical jorney has been one of hard rocking Deep Purple-inspired rock (Coverdale has served with Purple after all) over commercial poppy glam metal and, after Coverdale revived the band in the late noughties, back towards the classic style of hard rock.

"Forevermore" offers melodic, but certainly not poppy, hard rock, containing classic style guitar riffage, catchy choruses and both shreddy and bluesey guitar solos along with a coupld of ballads. Coverdale's voice is awesome - listening to him on this album, you wouldn't think that he is not exactly young anymore. It's raw and bluesey yet clean and even soft when required.

There's no innovativity whatsoever on this album - and everything has kind of been heard before. But do we want innovative hard rock? No, not always. Classic hard rock is best in its original conventional form, and Whitesnake delivers that on this album.

Pelata How many years has it been since Mr. Coverdale & Co. graced us with a new album? Well over 10, I’m sure. They’ve been back on the touring circuit now for a few years and have given us a live album & DVD, but this is the first album of all new material since 1997′s Restless Heart…and even that was billed as David Coverdale & Whitesnake (much like Sabbath’s Seventh Star, it was supposed to be a solo album). Since striking out on his own with 1978′s Snakebite, David Coverdale has put out some of the best Hard Rock the world has been privileged to receive. His bluesy, smoky voice is it’s own trademark and he’s instantly recognizable no matter where he pops up.

So what does Whitesnake 2008 have to offer? Judging by Good To Be Bad, I’d say plenty. This is a pure, timeless Hard Rock album of the highest caliber. It’s easily the band’s most raw, aggressive album since…well, probably ever. There is plenty of classic ‘Snake to go ‘round without all the slick production tricks that made many longtime fans roll their eyes in collective disgust on 1989′s Slip Of The Tongue. If anything, this album is like a blend of Slide It In and the self-titled 1987 offering, only more muscular.

“Best Years” comes flying out of the speakers sounding like a meaner Coverdale Page offering, nice and bluesy. Those wanting more song oriented fare from the boys fear not, “Can You Hear The Wind Blow” offers a mid-tempo swagger that only a veteran band can deliver. “All I Want, All I Need” is the closest the band comes to “Is This Love” with it’s Sykes-like melody and smooth delivery. The title track is patented Whitesnake with a hip-shaking groove and air-guitar riffing, as is “Lay Down Your Love”. The whole album explodes with the bluesy Hard Rock the band is known for. While the entire band is in top form, Doug Aldrich is the star of this album. His riffing & soulful solos are as big a part of this album as Coverdale’s pipes. There is honestly not a bad song on this entire collection.

So many bands who come back after a long absence simply fail to deliver. It’s not for lack of trying in most cases, it’s just that the magic is just gone a lot of the time. What made a band resonate with fans in the first place is gone and many times these “comeback” albums disappoint long time fans and tarnish a band’s legacy. Not so with Good To Be Bad…not at all. This is Whitesnake being Whitesnake, down to the bone. Kudos to Coverdale & friends for taking their time & giving fans a monster album.

Negoba The Best Power Glam Metal Ever

For a very long time, this album was my favorite CD regardless of genre. I listened to this things so many times in so many moods during early High School. For one album, the stars aligned and David Coverdale's bluesy voice matched with John Sykes' huge guitars to create a masterpiece.

The riffs of "Crying in the Rain" and "Still of the Night" are simply enormous. But the faster rockers are great as well, and the few ballads work well. Sure, the album used well-oiled songwriting formulas, but the actual sound was what made this sound great. Anyone who thinks that "Black Dog" would have done as well as "Still of the Night" if it had been released in 1987 doesn't understand how much culture had changed. The song's mainly instrumental midsection is an icon, and lends almost nothing to the might Led Zep. Instead, it was a creature of the times, when the rainy night ethos was part of metal. And as much as I love Jimmy Page, John Sykes' solo on "Crying in the Rain" is simply one of the wonders of the instrument, and beyond the shred ability of Page at his peak. (I am not claiming Whitesnake was better than Zep or Page, simply that they made a perfect album at the perfect time. Frankly, Zep made some albums that are timeless.)

Something essential on this album is the energy and production. Other versions of some of these songs exist, and both Coverdale's voice and the instrumental performances just aren't on the same level as this disk. Sykes, despite a long career, really only has one well known album to his name, but on this one album, he put himself down as a monster of his instrument.

Bottom Line: 80's MTV metal at its peak.