Tyketto Reach cd review

October the 14th sees the release of Tyketto's new cd Reach on Frontiers Records Srl and is the follow up to 2012's Dig In Deep.

That album featured founder members Brooke St James and Jimi Kennedy who both have now left due to other commitments.

Their replacements have all toured with the band over the last few years and this sees their recorded debut with the band.On bass is Chris Childs (Thunder) on bass,Ged Rylands on keys and on guitar the quite wonderful Chris Green (Pride,Furyon and Rubicon Cross).

That leaves 2 founder members in Michael Clayton Arbeeny on drums and vocalist extraordinaire Danny Vaughn who has never sounded better.

When a band has produced such a colossal debut like Tyketto did in 1991 with Don't Come Easy any new music will always be compared to that debut.But in my opinion you can't do that as this is Tyketto 2016 with some nods to the past but also a nod to the future with Chris Green all over it being able to give a real groove to the music and he can shred too but still able to reign it in when the need is there.

The title track starts with a Queen guitar melody vibe to it maybe with the album being recorded at the famous Rockfield Studios in Wales that helped the flavouring to it.A summer feel with a mix of acoustic and electric guitars and a great smooth chorus with Vaughn in fantastic voice and some wonderful added guitar melodies from Green and it just leaves a huge smile on your face every time.

Big Money has a real live hard hitting groove to it on the intro and chorus with Green's riffing a feature and Vaughn's vocal line in the chorus a little edgier.Fabulous drum sound on the whole album with the rhythm team laying down a real deep base.Some of my beloved light and shade mid song before a superb picked guitar solo from Green before the chorus kicks back in with Green's riff back heavier than before.Superb band workout to finish too.

Kick Like A Mule does just that with a driving rhythm and Green's riffs dipping in and out on a song built for the upcoming live shows.Vaughn's vocal again on the chorus a bit edgier before the guitar solo Vaughn is screaming before a band work out which would not look out of place on a Van Halen record.

Circle The Wagons is the first ballad with Rylands Hammond adding a real depth to the song with Vaughn's vocal range in full flow and at it's most melodic on the chorus with a Strength In Numbers feel.The man could sing the phone book and I would buy it!!Mid song Ryland keys part before Green hits a just so ballad solo.

I Need It Now is a driving rocker with a melodic guitar line in the intro with Childs babbling bass line a feature.Green's riff verges on feedback at times and Vaughn's vocal line has a harder edge to the delivery and a superb chorus too.

Tearing Down The Sky is Tyketto 2016 style with a heavy riff over a driving rhythm before a picked electric riff over the verse before the main riff kicks back in for the big held note chorus.Again Childs bass only adds to the recipe and Green shows off his chops on the solo with a lengthy melodic shred at times.

Letting Go takes it down a pace with an acoustic ballad with Vaughn showing off his class with a vocal to die for and big backing vocals on the chorus.

Fastest Man Alive could have the heaviest riff ever on a Tyketto album and will have fists raised to the sky in the live shows.Wow a bit Extreme or Van Halen again with a driving rhythm and a stop start riff and when the chorus stops and Clayton's drum fills kick in alongside the main riff heads will nod in unison.Big chorus too before Green again excels in the fast fingered solo over a big band workout.

Remember My Name throws some harmonica into the mix with a real stomp in the main riff and groove and the stop start guitar riff again impresses.Wonderful band harmonies in the chorus with Vaughn up an octave or two.

Sparks Will Fly is another rocker with a groove and the rhythm team again on top form.Green adds a quick guitar burst after the first chorus and again mid song before another trade mark guitar solo.The man is a star.

Scream is a picked acoustic ballad with Rylands keyboard flashes a feature with Vaughn at his most emotional best with a vocal line through out that shows he is singing better than ever.Huge chorus and Green showing off his emotional side too with a beautiful guitar solo.Love the held note mid solo that he bends out of holds it and carries on.Wonderful.

The Run ends the album in style with an acoustic ballad start before a big riff crashes in and Vaughn again adds a harder edge to his delivery.Green is all over it with guitar melodies and his guitar solo maybe his best yet.Big big chorus in true Tyketto style with Green's guitar noodlings all under and over the outro.

Reach sees Tyketto doing just that with an album that will be in many a best of lists come years end.Looking forward but never forgetting what they stand for and we should all be very thankful for that.

Superb.