Rise - Tom Keifer

Going back a few months for this one. When I first heard that Tom Keifer was putting out a new record, I couldn't believe it. I was psyched. It had been about 6 years since we last got new music from the legendary singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist. His last record, The Way Life Goes was his first with the #KeiferBand, and it came in 2013, with a deluxe edition following in 2017. Tom had gone through a lot of shit since Cinderella inevitably called it a day in 1995. They reunited for tours here and there in the years since, like an on-again-off-again high school couple, Tom and his first wife got a divorce, and he had also gone through many vocal chord surgeries. For a while it looked like his days of being a rock n roll frontman were over. So the sheer fact that he now has two solo records under his belt is a huge victory for the man. And let me say that the world definitely missed him. His brand of hard-rocking blues-metal is unlike anything I've heard before. And when people think about the best of the "hair metal" fad, they always think Crue, Leppard, and Cinderella.

Enough about his past, let's look at where he's going. Like I said before, just the sheer fact that this record even exists is a huge victory for Keifer. Admittedly, my initial excitement to get this record may have clouded my judgement on it for a while. I heard the first single "Death Of Me," and I thought, "Hell yeah, this shit's like Cinderella 2.0! Welcome back, Tom Keifer." But after the record was released and I blasted it in the car over and over for days, the excitement faded and my blinders wore off. The truth is, #KeiferBand is not Cinderella. Evolution happens, and this is what Tom has grown into. Now when I listen to Rise, I find myself thinking that I like the fact that the album even exists more than I like the album itself. Don't get me wrong, here, the album isn't without it's bangers. "Death Of Me," "Hype," and "All Amped Up" are a few tracks to check out if you're looking for a knee-slapping head bobber. The riffs are fun, and they remind me that I would probably put Keifer on my Mount Rushmore of guitarists. His vocal performance is stellar, considering the countless surgeries he underwent to get to this point. His doctors actually told him he would never sing again. Well Tom has done plenty of singing since then, and he shows no signs of slowing down.

Except when he slows down. The ballads on this record are excellent reminders of why I don't like ballads, and why I especially don't like it when metal singers try singing a ballad. There are only a few exceptions to this rule for me, and none of them are found on this record. The title track "Rise" is probably the most listenable of the slow songs on this album, as it has a bluesy-gospel flavor that adds some much-needed variety to this record. Later, however, you'll find the painfully skippable "You Believe In Me," that lyrically is a beautiful dedication to his wife and the endless support that she has shown him over the years. Musically, it is painful to sit through. I will say that I admire how personal the lyrics are to the ballads on this album, and I do appreciate them for what they mean to Tom. However, as a fan of his and his music, the slow tracks on Rise fall very short from some of the others.

While I will keep listening to this album for years to come, it will never be my go-to when I want to hear Tom Keifer. I will always return to Night Songs and Heartbreak Station when I need my fix. With all that being said, I do enjoy this record, and I can't wait to hear what he comes up with next.

Tom Keifer - Rise

9 - 13 - 2019

1. Touching The Divine

2. The Death Of Me

3. Waiting On The Demons

4. Hype

5. Untitled

6. Rise

7. All Amped Up

8. Breaking Down

9. Taste For The Pain

10. Life Was Here

11. You Believe In Me

Favorite Track: Hype

Least Favorite Track: You Believe In Me

Rating: 6.4