Ian Baker.

Reviewed by: Juha Harjula

Melodic.net

Here we have a pleasant surprise for sure. Do you remember Bronz that released their debut album Taken By Storm back in 1984 fronted by Max Bacon (GTR) on lead vocals. They had a 2^nd album in the pipeline back in 1985 but it never got released.

Shaun Kirkpatrick the only founder member stayed in the band back then a put together a new-line up with a new singer named Ian Baker, Lee Reddings (bass), Michael O´Donoghue (ex- Grand Prix on guitars) and Clive Edwards (ex- Wild Horses, UFO on drums) and they recorded a the 2nd Bronz album.

So now 25 years later the album gets a release and this is truly a gem filled with fantastic 80s classic British AOR/Pomp style next to Airrace, Strangeways, Shy and FM. The album has been produced by fame producer Max Norman (Ozzy Osbourne, Y&T and Loudness) and the albums sounds very good for being recorded 25 years ago.

The singer Ian Baker sings just outstanding and is really a new hidden treasure. The album opens up with Can’t Live Without Your Love, this is a awesome hookladen AOR-rocker with crunchy guitars filled with brilliant melodies and the chorus is fantastic with strong harmonies.

Carried By The Storm reminds of Van Stephenson and Russ Ballard. When The Lights Die Down is AOR by numbers with pompish keyboards and the chorus is a winner. You And Me is a first class AOR-ballad in the same style as Strangeways.

Tell Her is a brilliant up-tempo AOR-rocker with great melodic riffs. The cover of Russ Ballards Two Silhouettes is fabulous and this is a magnificent song and this is a bit more rockier but the keyboards makes this song. Figure In The Dark sounds like a classic 80s Survivor song, yes this is pure 80s AOR when it was best back then with lots of keyboards.

The albums ends with the pompish Dangerous Game with keyboards and hooklines everywhere, a fantastic way to end a first class album. So if your into classic 80s AOR with plenty keyboards, big hooklines and stunning vocals then this is album you can’t miss. It’s a shame to miss this great opportunity now that Your Time Music has given every AOR-fan.

This is a album that I recommend to every fan of those mentioned bands.

So don’t hesitate, get a copy of this unreleased gem.

Melodic.net 07/06/2010 Four ****

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Before jumping to the conclusion that this is a new album….it is kind of ….more technically speaking an old new album.

Has been kicking round on this veteran Brit AOR outfit’s dusty shelves since the company due to release it went t*ts up in the mid 80s, (there is a give away to this in the band pic), the eleven tunes have matured like sacred whiskey hops to be tasted by those still with the loyalest of musical tongues in 2010. Ballsy throughout with an unexpectedly American sound, the London 5 piece deliver a comparatively raw style with classic era-associable production.

The instant raunch vibes of numbers like ‘Can’t live Without Your Love’, ’Carried….’, ’There’s A Reason’, ’When The Lights Die Down’, ’One More Time’, ’Tell Her’ and ’Two Silhouettes’ got the disc onto its second run without me needing to touch the play button. Short no -nonsense solo licks and welcome appearances by sax add the completing blocks to a towering musical structure that kindly stands up after over two and a half decades awaiting completion.

With live work and possible reformation for a brand new disc circling the rumour mill, these chaps may be about to enjoy a second coming of immensely sudden and successful proportions.

Awesome!

9.5/10

By Dave Attrill

http://www.metalliville.com/

“A corking album” Andy Fox GTFM… 23/01/2010

“A lost classic rock album until now, carried By The Storm is on our A play list” ………. Pat Edison, Radio Caroline! (Jan 17th 2010)

“The album has eleven tracks total, but it flies by; the material is never boring and leaves the listener wanting more“………Kittysneezes.com (Jan 9th 2010)

“Carried By The Storm proves that a truly good band can’t be kept back forever”………………………….Kittysneezes.com (Jan 9th 2010)

“It’s never too late to enjoy great music, and “Carried By The Storm” falls into this category”………….. Rock Pages.gr (Jan 2010)

“Bronz are a classic British rock act…….Perfect for driving to“…………………….. Oxfordshire Music Scene. (Jan 2010)

” You just need to listen to the album to realise how good it is” Malcolm Dome, Total rock radio 06/02/10

‘Great Soft-rock tunes’ 15/02/10 Tim Ley, Atlantic FM

kittysneezes.com

It’s taken around 25 years to finally get a release but the wait’s been worth it. Carried By The Storm (Your Tune) is the second album from Brit hopefuls Bronz. Terrible business problems blighted the band after they recorded this but, restored to its full vigour, this record is a real gem. A lost classic rediscovered – or rather discovered. Classy, melodic hard rock. Had it been released when first planned, this lot might have become a major name.

(Malcolm Dome/ Classic rock Magazine 12/02/2010)

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BRONZ ‘CARRIED BY THE STORM’ (YOUR TUNE MUSIC/UK IMPORT)

BRONZ is back!

Who would have thought this UK band would ever make a comeback? Well, actually, ‘Carried by the storm’ is not really a new album, because it is the CD release of the band’s unreleased 2^nd album that should have been the follow-up to their classic debut ‘Taken by storm’ 25 years ago. The label YOUR TUNE RECORDS did a great job releasing this AOR gem, because it is one of many hidden secrets from the 80s AOR vault that now have been opened and released to the public in a decent CD package.

MAX BACON was the original lead singer for BRONZ back on their debut, but he was replaced on this ‘Carried by the storm’ album by IAN BAKER, who happily was/is also a great vocalist. “Send down an angel” will always be the song that BRONZ is remembered for, accompanied with the video that featured the actress EMMA THOMPSON, an unforgettable piece of video footage of the early 80s.

Anyway, this CD continues the style of their debut, although a tad softer, poppier and more keyboard based,  typical mid 1980s UK style AOR a la MORITZ, AIRRACE, SHOGUN, MONRO, FM, SHY, LIONHEART and such is very enjoyable sometimes, especially during uptempo AOR rockers like opener “Can’t live without your love”, “Tell her”, “Figure in the dark”, “When the lights go down”, “One more time”, the RUSS BALLARD cover “Two silhouettes” and the AOR ballad “You and me”.

Despite the production of MAX NORMAN (OZZY, ) and guest appearances of CHRIS THOMPSON, STEVE LANGE, PHIL LANZON and several other established British Rock musicians, the album was never released until now 25 years later by YOUR TUNE MUSIC.

There are some real gems to be heard here!

More info at: www.yourtunerecords.com and www.bronz-music.com

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

STRUTTER’ZINE.

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On The Road Zine Review

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UBER ROCK 01/06/2010

Fans of 80’s AOR will likely eat this album up and be thankful that it finally came out.

Metal Mark 29/may/2010

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BRONZ ‘Carried By the Storm’ (2010)

Bronz released their debut album ‘Taken By Storm’ back in 1984 and that album featured Max Bacon on vocals. He then went onto GTR (the Steve Howe/Steve Hackett supergroup that did one album) and worked briefly with Mike Oldfield. The band regrouped around Shaun Kirkpatrick, the only original member, found a new vocalist in Ian Baker and added drummer Clive Edwards (ex-UFO/Wild Horses), Lee Reddings on bass and guitarist Michael O’ Donoghue (ex-Grand Prix). They recorded a second album but this never got released until now, some 25 years later.

For pomp meets AOR Bronz hit the spot, think bands like Strangeways, Airrace, Shy, FM, Grand Prix – this is the style of music Bronz do and do very well indeed. Bronz do ballads in a big way including ‘You And Me’ where vocalist Ian Baker gets a chance to show his vocal talents. Quite why he hasn’t been heard on more albums is a mystery as he ticks all the boxes for an accomplished AOR/melodic rock singer. They do a decent cover of Russ Ballard’s ‘Two Silhouettes’ and ‘Figure In The Dark’ sees the keyboards set to maximum pomp! Close your eyes and you’d think this was Survivor or Prophet.

Who knows if this album would have been a hit if originally released as planned back in 1985 but one thing is for sure don’t miss out now it is finally released. A finer example of mid-80’s AOR meets pomp rock you’d be hard pressed to find.

****
Jason Ritchie

Get ready to rock. 08/06/2010

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Bronz

Carried By The Storm

Your Tune

This little gem has lain in the vaults since Bronze Records went bankrupt, causing its UK-based creators to fold. Produced by Max Norman and peaking with the exquisite maturity of a Foreigner-esque ballad called You And Me, Carried By The Storm – intended as Bronz’s second album – certainly doesn’t sound like a 25-year-old recording.

Dave Ling  21/07/2010 Classic rock magazine