US band HOUSE OF LORDS have been around for 25 years or so at this point, admittedly with frequent spells of inactivity taking up a substantial part of all those years. Originally established as a direct continuation of Gregg Giuffria’s band Giuffria, House of Lords hit the scene in the late 1990’s, releasing three acclaimed albums prior to entering a long spell of inactivity. These days the band doesn’t feature founding member Giuffria anymore, but the continue making music with vocalist James Christian as the band leader if I understand matters correctly. “Precious Metal” is their most recent studio effort, and was released through Italian label Frontiers Records in 2014.
When listening through this album I was immediately transported back in time, ending up in the second half of the 1980’s. Bands like Dokken, Autograph and, at least to some extent, Thunder, came to mind when getting familiar with House of Lords as of 2014, with some associations towards the likes of Dio in the most intense passages. Or to summarize this in a stylistic context: Melody and harmony based music residing in the borderlands between hard rock and metal, with a certain emphasis on mainstream-oriented details such as anthemic or singalong chorus sections. With a typical and predictable set of tunes, an album that will fill the need of House of Lord fans as well as dedicated followers of mainstream oriented hard rock and metal presumably.
Predictable doesn’t mean uninteresting however. As I understand this type of music at least, the devil is in the details and execution rather than in trying to to approach this type of music in a new way. The execution part here is of excellent quality, these are seasoned musicians that probably could produce and perform material of good quality in their sleep. In this case they seem to be both awake and inspired, there’s no lack of quality to speak of here. The compositions, while not of the kind that will inspire massive ovations, are effective constructions. The harder edged, most spirited of them tends to come with a tight, driving bass and drum backbone, with nifty guitar riffs on top and careful keyboard flavoring adding a smooth, delicate touch. Some of the riff constructions are truly delightful, personally I have a soft spot for some of the darker toned varieties there, with tracks such as Battle, Raw and Action among the highlights. A few songs displaying a softer touch are expected and duly delivered too, and while the obligatory ballad, in this case title track Precious Metal, isn’t among the most intriguing affairs of it’s kind those who have an affection for songs of that kind should enjoy this one too, musically a creation that can be placed side by side with a song like White Lion’s When the Children Cry, albeit without the lyrical scope that made that particular song an evergreen staple amongst ballads crafted by a hard rock band.
What makes or breaks an album of this kind are the lead vocals however. My understanding of this type of music in general and of this album in particular is that you need a top quality vocalist to make the compositions work. James Christian is a powerful vocalist, able to easily add a strong emotional touch with his voice. He’s got power and melody, pitch perfect delivery, and with a subtle natural grit that is needed as a slight contrast for the otherwise somewhat smooth music. A contrast that does work, as long as you find his voice and vocal style likable at least. That is, ultimately, the factor that will be most important for those who wants to give this disc a spin I suspect. If you like Christian’s vocals you will most likely enjoy this album as well.
All in all a well made album of melodic hard rock with metal touches, or perhaps melodic metal with hard rock touches, depending on point of view. Pleasant at worst and engaging at best, sporting top notch musicianship and high class vocals. It’s not an album that will expand any known musical boundaries, but sure to be an enjoyable experience to those who have an existing affection for this kind of music.
My rating: 70/100
