Two of a Kind: Rise (2018)

Back at the turn of the century, Fred Hendrix (Terra Nova) had become more and more interested in production and songwriting, so he started looking for new and fresh talent to develop. Following several suggestions from Frontiers Records’ President and A&R Director, Serafino Perugino, Fred hooked up with not one but two female singers, Esther Brouns and Anita Craenmehr. After a few writing sessions, Fred had come up with the idea of putting together a band who would attempt to channel Boston meeting Heart. To record the album, Fred brought in his Terra Nova bandmates Gesuino Derosas (guitar), Hans in’t Zandt (drums), along with his brother Ron (keyboards), and the debut was released in 2007. More than a decade later and the band are back with the follow-up.

I’m really not sure about the Boston and Heart comparisons though, as what we have here is a pretty basic album with big choruses, which really does come across as Pat Benatar as opposed to anything else. It feels like a constructed projects as opposed to a band, albeit with some great guitar here and there. But, given that Terra Nova was formed as long ago as 1992, perhaps it isn’t a surprise that the guys do know what they are doing on that score. This just feels like another Eighties female fronted band with a lack of singular identity, monosyllabic as opposed to verbose, without enough in the way of hooks to real capture and maintain interest. Music needs more depth, more heart (and in this case more Heart as well), otherwise it just drops into the background as this has.

Rating: 5/10