White Lion--Pride (1987)
Rating--7.9
A break-out for the group, as they had great sales success with this release. Vito Bratto comes into his own,
as he joins the ranks of Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme), Jeff Kollman (Edwin Dare), and a select
few others who can simply rip and shred through songs using notes and fills instead of chords--you don't find that much at this--or any--level.
Overall, at their heaviest the band moves towards a Dokken-like sound, with good riffs and vocal
melodies being the strengths.
Fueld by two sharp singles, "Wait" and "Tell Me," the band displays a heavy yet yearning guitar-driven
sound. The opening riff of "Hungry" is one of their meanest, and gives way to a nice drive.
Both "Lonely Nights" and "Lady
of the Valley" incorporate in-song shifts which play well, and "All Join Our Hands" has some truly evil verses--though the chorus
it too light and campy.
The effort closes out with the equally-successful single/ballad "When the Children Cry," with beautiful
picking, a great melody, and a tugging chorus. Nice work throughout.
TRACK LIST: Hungry/Lonely Nights/Don't Give Up/Sweet Little Loving/Lady of the Valley/Wait/All You Need is Rock N' Roll/
Tell Me/All Join Our Hands/When the Children Cry
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