Kee Marcello - Scaling Up
A much needed sleazy glam metal (think Europe, Dokken, Ratt, Extreme) fix.
Kee Marcello is one of the very few guitar players having such an outstanding tone that is only surpassed by the likes of George Lynch or Gary Moore.
The latter once said something like: " 90% of tone comes from the fingers and not from amps or effects.
For people who like the Out Of This World and Prisoners In Paradise albums (underrated because too commercial, but still masterfully executed), Scaling Up is a worthy follow up. The song quality is stronger than on PIP but not as marvelous as on the OOTW album.
Joey Tempest was easily the better singer, but Kee does a great job and it's coming through very clear how Kee was the main songwriter for the two albums he did with Europe.
Compared to Joey Tempest, on the last few Europe albums, the voice of Kee Marcello is much easier on my ears. And there is still much speaking for the songwriter singing his own song.
His riffs have the needed dirt, that many bands of the genre so painfully leave to be desired.
I dare to say the instrumental performances (tightness,soundmaking, grooving departments) go beyond everything Europe has ever recorded. Like on Kee's Europe albums guitar and bass make love.
It's overtaxing my imagination how a person can't be floored by listening to this album from the first song to the orgasmic closer. That's how you end an album.