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ARTIST: Last Temptation
ALBUM: Better Late Than Never
LABEL: Self Released
SERIAL: -
YEAR: 2009
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: 
LINEUP: Frank Vestry - vocals * Arnie Miot - guitars * Steve Hervatic - bass * Allan Gabay - keyboards * Steve Murphy - drums, vocals * Jeff Cropper - drums
TRACK LISTING: 01 Break It * 02 Last Temptation * 03 Catch Me Now I'm Falling * 04 Without Love * 05 Oh So Easy * 06 Emotions * 07 Sailin' Away (Northern Winds) * 08 Save Me * 09 Next To You * 10 Queen Of Ice
RATING: 
WEBLINKS: www.lasttemptation.org |
BackgroundThe success of last year's
Marcello Vestry album prompted many interested punters to take a harder look at singer Frank Vestry. From New York City, Frank had sung with the likes of
Jack Starr's Burning Starr and local band
Devias. However, it was his work with another band - Last Temptation, that has set tongues a wagging. That band had released a self titled album back in 1991, and though long out of print and one of the rarest albums out there, Frank and guitarist Arnie Miot were persuaded by those in the industry to re-release this, perhaps as a follow on from
Marcello Vestry. And so 2009 delivers the Last Tempatation album once again, re-badged as 'Better Late Than Never', containing an extra bonus track to boot.
The SongsThe band was created by guitarist Arnie Miot, and with the addition of Vestry and bassist Steve Hervatic in particular, set about making Last Temptation one of New York's most exciting melodic hard rock bands during the early 90's. Miot's guitar sound is a perfect blend of the L.A hair metal style combined with
White Lion's Vito Bratta's more elegant and legato based fretwork, while Vestry is a great amalgam of
Tesla's Jeff Keith and in parts - the revered
Mark/Marcie Free. Last Temptation did have a few incarnations prior to the arrival of Vestry, and even recorded some songs with
Ace Frehley in the producers chair and Anton Fig playing drums. So, what of the songs. It's all classy, but some stand out more than most. the opener 'Break It' teases us with some luscious acoustic guitar and Frank's superb vocal, but it's busted open with some huge hair-metal theatrics. Yes, we've heard it all before, but when it's played this well, nothing seems to mind. I loved the groovy
White Lion styled rock of the title track, and with keyboards in the bottom end, the whole thing is lifted to another level. 'Catch Me Now I'm Falling' could be
TNT reinvented with those high-flying guitar lines and melodic structures while 'Without Love' is
Autograph resurrected, those synth lines have been nicked from the late Steven Isham's keyboard rig! Gotta love Arnie's guitar solo at the front of 'Oh So Easy' which has shades of
Rex Carroll's six-string antics, before settling down into a mind-bendingly good track. The solo section from Arnie is killer stuff! Taking the slow-burn road is 'Emotions', where we get some chugging guitar riffs combined with some intense vocals from Frank. We head into power-ballad territory with 'Sailing Away (Northern Winds)', an ok track which probably could've used more in the way of keyboards to add dynamics, but it's back to hard rock heaven with the blistering 'Save Me', played in a slightly southern style but still heavy as hell. Arnie blazes out a cool pattern on 'Next To You', one of the album highlights for me, the mid-section takes a breather, before Arnie sends it on its way again with a wicked solo. The closer 'Queen Of Ice' prowls the soundscape, a classic 80's affair with a darker edge.
In SummaryYou know, despite the plethora of new releases during 2009, it's still the older albums which are being reissued that still interest me the most, and this is exemplified by this album. 1991 never sounded so good - even in 2009! 'Better Late Than Never' is available on CD through
this weblink. Do yourself a favour, buy a copy, because this one won't last very long in stock. Contact Steve Hervatic over at the website. Now let's hold our breath for 'Marcello Vestry II'!!
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