ARTIST: RESolution 9 (with Rik Emmett)
ALBUM: RES 9
LABEL: Mascot Label Group
RELEASE DATE: November 11, 2016
Reviewed by Bobby R Rock from BS Live Rocks
What do you get when you have a musical artist that is highly respected world wide by his peers, versatile in his guitar playing, one of Canada’s greatest vocalists, has multiple gold and platinum albums and has just released a new CD?
You get the result of RESolution 9 (or RES 9 for short) from Canadian musician Rik Emmett. Fans of 80s rock will know Rik from his early days as the guitarist and vocalist for Canadian rock band Triumph. Rik also has a solid career as a solo artist spanning multiple hit singles and albums ranging in all sorts of musical flavours.
The brand new album comes packed with a wide variety of styles, guest musicians and lots of surprises for the listener.
After a first listen to the album, I found myself envisioning Rik as a musical magician, pulling out all the tricks from his past. What a treat to be taken on a journey of upbeat songs with a shuffle type beat, to soulful tracks to even some jazz and blues mixed in for good measure.
The album opens with a song called Stand Still that is rocky yet very bluesy, almost may I dare say, what you would hear from a Triumph album? Rik wastes no time in showcasing another Canadian icon, Alex Lifeson, from the band Rush on the track Human Race. Alex does another song on the album called End Of The Line which also has James Labrie on guest vocals, who is best known to sing for progressive rock band Dream Theater and is also from Toronto, Ontario Canada.
The highlight of the album for me is the song that was sent out as a teaser. This song is called I Sing in which Labrie makes another appearance on a classy vocal duet. This song could easily be a hit radio single.
As I kept listening to the album, I found myself writing words down such as jazzy, melodic, groovy and very catchy. This release is packed full of awesome guitar leads and some cool vintage keyboards throughout to the listeners delight.
I was most looking forward to the track in which Triumph members Gil Moore and Mike Levine were rumoured to be on. This song, called Grand Parade, would be the first music with all original members of Triumph since 1987’s Surveillance release by the band. Honestly, it wasn’t what I was expecting from the trio in a song as it is a slower composition but is a great song in its own right. The words, I imagine, speak to this occasion…. “and we will raise a glass to bygone days, when our lucky stars aligned.”
Overall, I think it is a solid, well-rounded album that showcases all styles from Rik’s career and more. The guest appearances are a special treat that add an awesome touch that celebrates some of the most legendary Canadian musicians. Highly recommended!
For more information visit https://www.rikemmett.com/
Related story: Rik Emmett: A Conversation About His New Label, New Album and Some Old Friends
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