Customer Reviews

Tattooed Heart

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

 

 

2004's Tattooed Heart is album #2 from German melodic rockers Evidence One. The band, which is made of current and former members of similar rock acts (Frontline, Shakra, Domain) takes a hard-hitting approach to the melodic rock sound, adding as much punch as they do finesse.

The first thing that jumped out at me when listening to Tattooed Heart is that vocalist Carsten Schulz seems much more comfortable singing in English than he did on the band's debut Criticize the Truth. It makes a big difference, and makes for a much more effective album. Not that the killer hooks, mesmerizing melodies and pounding rhythms that are on display here needed much help. As much as I love the smooth AOR of bands like Fair Warning, it's when melodic rock bands flex a bit of muscle that I most enjoy the music. Listening to an anthem like "When Thunder Hits the Ground" in particular reminds me why I love this music so much in the first place.

If you're a fan of hard-hitting melodic rock along the lines of Pink Cream 69, Jorn, TNT and Pretty Maids, you'll want to check out what Evidence One is all about. Of the albums I've heard (I still haven't picked up 2007's Sky Is the Limit), Tattooed Heart would be the best one to start with.

"Tatooed heart" is the second studio album by German melodic hard rock band "Evidence one" originally released in 2004. At the time "Frontline" members, guitarist Robert Boebel, drummer Rami Ali and bassist Thomas Bauer would regroup with lead singer Carsten Schulz ("Domain", "Midnite Club") and guitarist Wolfgang Schimmer.

2004 also sat the release of the 7th "Frontline" studio album, therefore one could reasonably question how focused was this second studio effort by "Evidence one". Truth is that "Tatooed heart" is an incredible melodic hard rock album with a metalic flavor to it. As everything carying the siganture of Robert Boebel, the album benefits from incredibly thick and polished production; from there onwards the melodies come in plenty, the solos are more extensive while Carsten's vocal performance is technically impeccable and passionate as always. Favortie tracks include "Virus in my veins", "written in blood", "When thunder hits the ground" and "Tattooed heart".
The overall sound of the album could easily be characterized as arena hard rock, simply because everything on "Tatooed heart" sounds immense. One could use the term overproduced on the album, still a hard rock fan would rarely complain for a band's devastating drum sound or plethora of melodic guitar lines. If you enjoy melodic hard rock produced to the maximum, filled with decimating choruses, titanic rhythm section and endless melodic attack you should definitely get "Evidence one-Tattoed heart" as well as trying Boebel's other bands namely "Frontline", "State of rock" and "Sanction X".