Customer Reviews

Leaving The End Open

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Hardline broke onto the scene with their amazing debut album "Double Eclipse" in 1992 and made me a fan instantly. The first time I heard them was during the Brandon Lee movie "Rapid Fire" and I was immediately interested in hearing more. Ever since then I, like the rest of the Hardline fans, have had to be content with a very limited number of songs by the band. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather have 13 great songs than 100 mediocre songs any day, and apparently so would this awesome group. (By the way, I believe Double Eclipse to be one of the best albums EVER released).

Hardline II, their follow up release in 2002, was hard to find in the States but it was worth hunting down. With the unavoidable comparison to Double Eclipse it was somewhat overshadowed despite being a great album. The group reformed with some new members in the lineup and had a different sound, though still the Hardline that we had come to love, it was different. The album features strong, driving, rock hits, and catchy ballads. The next year we had "Live at the Gods Festival" which gave us some different takes on the studio tracks we loved. Then there was another long silence.

Now, in 2009 we finally have another album from Hardline; Leaving the End Open. I was very eager to get my hands on this album and start listening so once I got it I just let 'er spin and I've been playing it pretty much nonstop for several days now. Being a long-time Hardline fan here is what I think.

Leaving the End Open is an amazing album! It is a fitting installment to the Hardline catalogue and well worth the wait. What we have here is another 11 great songs that plays more like a greatest hits than an album release. I love their song structure of the dissonant verse opening to the solid melodic chorus. Johnny is still as strong as ever as the front man. Josh Ramos continues to impress with his guitar skills. The addition of Michael T. Ross on keyboards continues to be a fine compliment to this amazing team of musicians (Ross also designed the CD cover art!). Atma Anur had some mighty big shoes to fill following up the phenomenal Deen Castronovo and the impressive Bobby Rock on drums but he is up to the task laying a solid bed of rhythm! New member Jamie Browne fills in the lower end with great work on the bass to complete the group.

Opening the album is "Voices", which features the dissonant to melodic structure I previously mentioned. I think it makes the chorus even catchier than it might have been with a normal verse. The keys add a nice layer under the vocals and it really works well. "Falling Free" seems to have on of the catchiest choruses that I've heard in a long time featuring Johnny and some great harmonized vocals driving this one.

"Bittersweet" is a slower rock-ballad that just feels right. "She Sleeps In Madness" has an uneasy feeling keyboard intro, then comes the guitar, and finally we open into a strong guitar driven verse. Then we are treated to a full on ballad with "In This Moment" where we finally get to hear Johnny with some luscious piano; nice, really nice. I love it when a group that can rock like these guys aren't afraid to put a slow piano ballad in with the rest. It's like a slice of Key Lime pie after a nice steak dinner. Mmmm...

Then we really get into some meat with "Give Into This Love" getting us pretty close to the feel from Double Eclipse. A driving rock song with amazing vocals (of course). Ramos is in particularly great form on this song using some very interesting harmonics during the first verse that really adds to the song (and also returns near the end for a neat wrap-up feeling).

Another great track is "Hole In My Head" which also has a very catchy chorus and some great work on the keys by Ross. Of particular interest in this song is the open, airy feeling bridge that Ramos builds up into his fine solo with. Rounding out the album is the title track "Leaving the End Open" which, on a normal album, could be considered the stand-out track. This is another track that is lead by the keyboards and guitar playing off each other with Ramos having some "homage to Journey" sounding chords going on. Anur has some great drumming on this track as he throws in some unexpected snare beats to break things up during the chorus.

All in all, do whatever you have to do to get this album. Whether you are a die-hard Hardline fan like me or just somebody looking for some great new music. Maybe you are growing tired of much of the radio play going on today? Or maybe you have a great love for melodic rock that flourished during the 80's. Whatever your case, do yourself a favor and give Hardline a try.

Finally! It's been seven years since Hardline's appropriately-titled second album II (and that came a full decade after the band's 1992 debut Double Eclipse), but the melodic rockers are back with another album, titled Leaving the End Open. Of course, given vocalist Johnny Gioeli's very active career fronting Axel Rudi Pell's band (who seem to issue a new album every year) and guitarist Josh Ramos' recent Ramos/Hugo and China Blue projects, the delay is understandable. With a (mostly) all-new lineup (Gioeli is the only member who was on Double Eclipse, and Ramos was the only holdover from II), Leaving the End Open might as well be the work of a completely new band.

Leaving the End Open still feels like a Hardline album to me though, thanks in large part to Gioeli's unique voice. It's also immediately obvious that this is the work of a more mature, more capable Hardline. Instead of cocky, fun party rockers like Double Eclipse's "Hot Cherie" and "Dr. Love", Leaving the End Open is full of melodic, emotional, mid-tempo songs like "Bittersweet", "Start Again" and "Before This". Of course, those songs are so well-written and moving that you hardly care that they don't have the old Hardline vibe. In fact, with Gioeli and Ramos matching each other melody for melody, "Before This" may be the single best song Hardline has ever written. There are still a few conventional rockers ("Pieces of Puzzles") and ballads ("In This Moment"), but the majority of the album is somewhere in between, and that's where Leaving the End Open really shines.

If you're a fan of the earlier Hardline albums and/or Gioeli's work with Axel Rudi Pell, this one is a no-brainer. Leaving the End Open is probably the most polished, mature, and best-written Hardline album to date, and one that just about any melodic rock fan will want to hear. I just hope Hardline's fourth album doesn't take quite so long to arrive!

While not as fast-paced as Double Eclipse or Hardline II, this new CD will make any Hardline fan smile. The album features more of a mellow side to Hardline, as it has many ballads on it. There are a couple of hard-rocking songs, but overall it is more of a mellow CD. The songs are well written and I just can't stop listening to the CD, it is that good.

Too bad Hardline can't get the publicity it really deserves. The songs on this album would make great radio airplay, but the radio/music industry suffers from bias and it plays bands/songs that usually have no talent. MTV is a machine that spits out what it wants, talent not needed.

Get this CD, it is well worth it. The music really moves your heart and soul. Thanks Hardline for an awesome CD!

Although not up to par with the debut album , but in all fairness that was and is a melodic rock classic in my opinion , "leaving the end open " is leaps and bounds better the previous comeback album and a freshening return to form by Johnny Gioli .A few more rockers next time guys and we are going to be cooking.

This is a good CD, alot more ballads than I was expecting. Double Eclipse is still the best CD Hardline has released.

After waiting over fifteen years (I missed the second CD completely), Hardline delivers a knockout punch with the latest CD, "Leaving The End Open".
The songs are riff-laden rock anthems that have stood up to almost continual listening for over a week. The sound quality and mixdown on the CD is extremely good and the melodies are catchy, great hooks, great guitars, EXCELLENT bass - the band has hooked up with an Italian record label, Frontiers Records that have picked up a who's-who of '90's melodic/AOR rock, and this release has left me hungry for more.
One of the coolest parts of this CD is lead vocalist Johnny Gioeli's dedication of this recording to his deceased dog Woody - a very nice, classy gesture. "Woods" is proud of you and the rest of the band, Johnny - great job - thanks for an enjoyable listen!

It is amazing how these guys part way's for 15ish years, get back together and sound tighter with no drop off on sound then their last cut. Still testing vocal range. Composition worthy of high praise. It's nice to hear Neil doing rock. Man I miss the early Journey!

This is a very good cd. This is not as good as Double Eclipse, but it is very good.

I just got this in the mail today and compared to the crap thats on the radio its superb!! Compared to the first Hardline not as good but still good. Ive always liked Johnys voice and its good to hear it again. Great hooks great chorus's I'm glad i bought it!!

Let me put it this way. This was worth getting just because i'm a die hard Gioeli fan and Hardline fan, but unfortuantely I was disappointed with this album. Hardline Double Eclipse was a no brainer hall of fame rock album. Great music, everything. II, was even better! Their style changed a little bit with the departure of Neal Schon, but was still great, classic rock. Suddenly....I get this.....piece of ****. I couldn't believe it. Its not BAD, music, But its no Hardline. Hardline was ROCK, and only ROCK. This...this sounds more like the crud that plays on modern radio stations, with all that alternative jazz crap. Its not a bad album, but unless your a collector and die hard fan like I am, you will be disappointed....:( Let's hope their next album goes back to there roots.