THE BAND:
Razor Dave – guitar, vocals
Chris Daniel – vocals, bass
Edd “The Animal” - drums



TRACK FRAGMENTS:
1.) “Burn Out” – Early eighties heavy metal at its finest!!!!
2.) “Never Enough” – This track opens with a rhythm guitar riff.  The only thing the band changed for the musical verse was incorporate the entire band.  There was a small rhythm guitar change for the musical verse.  Chris’s vocals are some of the best I’ve ever heard.  There was a small rhythm change for the musical chorus.  There was a small musical rest connecting the first chorus with the second verse.  There was a small snare fill connecting the second verse with the second chorus.  After he second chorus there was a breakdown section.  For the breakdown section Razor double tracked two different rhythm guitar arrangements.  The lead guitar solo was heavily influenced by early metal guitarists such as KK Downing. 
3.) “Criminal” – Much like most of the songs on the release this track consisted of nothing flashy just great balls to the walls heavy metal.
4.) “Wild Child” – The intro to this track consisted of a very simple rhythm guitar riff.  There was a minor lead guitar solo over the top of the tail end of the intro connecting the intro with the musical verse.  There was a very simple rhythm change for the musical verse.  The last lyric line consisted of a backing harmony.  The chorus was very straight forward and simple.  There was a couple minor lead guitar licks underneath the lyric lines of the second verse.  After the second chorus there was a small breakdown.  This breakdown consisted of a simple backing harmony underneath several lead vocal accents.  The lead guitar solo for this song was huge.  After the lead guitar solo there was a second more musical breakdown section. 
5.) “Stealing Thunder” –Classic heavy metal 101!!!! 
6.) “Don’t Drag Me Down”  -This intro consisted of a drum rhythm intro.  The guitar rhythm does not kick-in until the musical verse.  There is a small drum line and rhythm arrangement change for the musical chorus.  The lyric arrangement for the chorus was arranged as; lead vocal line/backing vocal line/lead vocal line…etc.  There was a small musical rest that consisted of a lead vocal line connecting the chorus with the verses.  After the second chorus there was a breakdown section that consisted of a very short drum solo.  The breakdown section lead into the lead guitar solo.  The drum line of this track was by far the best aspect of the song!!!!
7.) “Born To Rock” – This intro consisted of two different rhythm guitar arrangements.  As the musical verse licks-in the rhythm guitar arrangements come together to form the same rhythm.  The rhythm gives the song a very intense sound.  There is a small snare fill connecting the musical verse with the musical chorus.  The band changes the rhythm arrangement for the musical verse.  The lead guitar solo was heavily influenced by eddy Van Halen’s earlier work there was a small bass solo connecting the lead guitar solo with the third chorus. 
8.) “Haywire” – This track pretty much has the same motive as the rest of the CD very straight forward nothing flashy however, balls to the wall.
9.) “The Slayer” – This intro consisted of a lead guitar rhythm over the top of tom-tom fills.  There is a heavy music arrangement change for the musical verse.  it almost is so heavy that it overshadows the minor solo.  There actually is a music arrangement change underneath the opening lyric line of the verse.  The musical verse had a very intense feel to it.  Underneath the last lyric line of the verse there was a minor lead guitar solo.  The lead guitar solo is after the first chorus.  Edd added several subtle double-bass drum licks under the lead guitar solo.  After the solo there is a breakdown section.  The breakdown section was classic metal 101!  After the breakdown there is a second lead guitar solo.  Though this one was a lot shorter it was more intense.
10.) “Hearts On Fire” - This introit had a seventies Judas Priest feel to it.  Razor double-tracked several lead guitar lick/rhythms over the top of the intro.  There is a small rhythm change for the opening musical chorus.  There was a lead guitar solo after the second chorus.  I loved the sound Razor got out of his guitar for the solo!!  It sounded as if the entire song was chorus.  After the third chorus there is a second lead guitar solo.  This lead guitar solo runs through the outro and through it probably is the major solo the first guitar solo had a better sound.
11.) “Warrior” - This intro opens with a tom-tom fill.  This tom-tom pattern was very reminiscent to Alex Van Halen’s tom-tom patterns. The main intro kicks-in with a single rhythm guitar arrangement.  Not long after the rhythm guitar kicks-in a lead guitar kicks-in.  This second lead guitar that Razor double-tracked over the top was heavily influenced by the Indian sound.  For the musical verse the band use the first rhythm guitar of the intro as the main rhythm guitar arrangement with a fill-in guitar riff underneath it.  The way they arranged the verse was very reminiscent to some of Judas Priest’s early seventies material.  The band used the main Indian musical section of the intro to connect the first chorus with the second verse.  There is a double-tracked twin lead guitar solo after the second chorus.  There was a breakdown section after the lead guitar solo.  Shortino himself lends his vocal talent on the breakdown section and outro.


     Because legendary vocalist Paul Shortino, saw enough in Black Tora to not only produce and engineer the CD but also release the album through Carmen & his record label MusicWorks.  I knew if they invested so much into this band then they must really be something special.  Seeing something special in this band may be the greatest understatement of all time!!!
    As a rule I will never rotate or even listen to a CD until I review it.  I do this because it keeps me from rushing through a possible great release for something that I know is a great release.  This review justifies why I do this!
     In a nutshell Black Tora sound like every heavy metal/hard rock band from ’74 to ’86.  I’m literally speechless by the bands’ sound.  A must have for the die-hard metal fan!!!!!