Babylon [Import]

Ten | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 12, 2000)
• Original Release Date: August 29, 2000
• Format: Import
• Label: Frontiers Italy
• ASIN: B00004YBYO
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #635,332 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Stranger

2. Barricade

3. Give in This Time

4. Love Became the Law

5. The Heat

6. Silent Rain

7. Timeless

8. Black Hearted Woman

9. Thunder in Heaven

10. Valentine

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars These guys should be huge...., October 15, 2000

By 

JW (Wageningen Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Babylon (Audio CD)

I was curious to hear this CD on learning that lead guitar was played by Vinny Burns, ex-Dare member, and a true guitar hero. The album is hard rock with a metal edge, and the songs, penned by vocalist Gary Hughes, are outstanding. The album is based on a simple conceptual story, "Babylon" (hence the title!) but the songs rock and the musical ability of everyone involved is exemplary. Besides Burns and Hughes, Don Airey guests on keyboards, adding a melodic edge to proceedings. Every song has a memorable hook, but my favourites are "The Stranger", "Barricade" (with a brilliant mid-tempo guitar solo), the moody "Love Became the Law", and the almost Deep Purple-esque "Black Hearted Woman". This band definitely deserves to become well known on the basis of this effort. I'd place this as one of the top heavy rock albums of 2000.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ten's "Babylon", a Solid Concept Album!, July 14, 2001

By 

Antoinette Avalon (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Babylon (Audio CD)

Remember STYX "Kilroy Was Here"? Ten's Babylon is a concept album much like this classic STYX offering. Ten's vocalist Gary Hughes is much like STYX vocalist Dennis De Young as well, with wonderful vocal range and expressing intense emotion. Ten's "Babylon" takes the listener through the world of 2999 AD, under the premise that "The Great War" has left most of the earth uninhabitable and the human population lives in atmospherically controlled "domes". The album songs stand by themselves, but if you read the literature with the CD you get further insight to the story they are telling (much like STYX "Kilroy Was Here", once again.) "The Stranger" is a powerful song about feeling alienated. "Barricade" is a very sensual song that has a really good rhythm to it . . . but is NOT a ballad by any means. "Give in This Time" and "Love Became the Law" are powerful melodic rock songs. "The Heat" speeds up the pace a bit while still sporting the heavy guitar work heard throughout the album. "Silent Rain" is a powerful ballad. "Timeless" is another rhythmic song accompanied by LOTS of guitar work. "Black Hearted Woman" is a solid offering that is about a perfect murderess. "Thunder in Heaven" starts off with tons of guitar work then smoothly transitions into the vocals and is probably the most aggressive song on the album. "Valentine" finishes the album with a gentle, beautiful ballad. Overall, the album is strong melodic hard rock with a lot of heavy guitar . . . very much like STYX or Foreigner might offer. Many of the songs have a strong "grind" kind of rhythm that is infectious . . . makes you want to get up and dance. Some of the lyrics are very haunting and send a shiver up your spine. In between some of the songs there are spoken snippets that help string the story together. If you are already a fan of TEN then I expect you will enjoy this album. As a band that typically exhibits many facets on any given album, the style should not come as a big surprise to a seasoned TEN fan. For those of you who are new to TEN, I think if you like bands like STYX, Queen and other melodic hard rock acts that like to dabble with different sounds, you'll really enjoy TEN. I was hooked from the first song I heard by them! Any band with a really strong vocalist plus a different sound will always get my attention! Add this CD to your collection. I think you'll be glad that you did!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just plain good, May 1, 2001

By 

D. Hodgson (Cupertino, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Babylon (Audio CD)

Nearly every song is a gem on this fine, fine disc. Ten is the number of years since I've last heard an album this good! Well, almost. I'm rounding a 4.5 review up to 5 stars here, due to the occasional whiff of Steve Perry ballad-itis on a couple of tracks. Gary, let your band shine. The production, the hooks, the Neuromancer-esque concept, the wonderful Luis Royo cover art - I'd buy this album twice just to hear "Timeless" or "Paradise" again when this CD breaks.