SHAKRA - fall (2005)

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SHAKRA - fall (2005)

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A tenacious Swiss melodic hard rock/heavy metal crew, Shakra emerged in the late '90s and found success in Europe in 2001 with their third full-length effort, Power Ride. Despite enduring multiple lineup changes over the years, the band has endured for over two decades, releasing dozens of well-received albums like Everest (2009), Powerplay (2013), and Mad World (2020) that balance blazing riffs, fist-pumping melodies, and crisp production with plenty of attitude.
Shakra’s Fall album starts off with a radio/club version of a song called ”Take Me Now;” supposedly the song most likely to be released as a single. A really catchy song with a somewhat funny chorus. It actually sounds like Mark Fox (on vocals) sings “take me now from behind” but really he sings … well, not that … phew! Makes you wonder what direction these poodle rockers where headed …

Next song on the album is “Chains of Temptation,” almost just as catchy as the first, and you almost want to continue singing “Take Me Now” as the chorus starts. A very John Norum-like (Europe) solo takes you to the end of this song.

In “Out of Control,” Shakra speeds things up a bit, no longer relying on the 80s Def Leppard sound like in the other two songs, but unfortunately “Out Of Control” is just as easily forgotten as it is a fast track.

All of a sudden you’re into the song “All or Nothing” where the past has been dropped and they almost have that calm D.A.D. sound going … just not that fascinating. The chorus almost gets a grip on you when in the middle of it you’re already listening to another song. “How It feels” is the first of two ballads on this album. Mark Fox really does sound a bit like Joe Elliot sometimes, with his raw and hoarse voice … and that is a compliment!

You get the feeling that they are cutting the songs shorter and shorter as the seventh song “Fall,” like the album title, starts. It does, however, have a fantastic solo at the end. “Walk On Water” is again an up paste track with more hard-hitting drums, but with a chorus that just doesn’t fit in, and it seems to be a track they just put together to have a full album. It’s a song that definitely needs more than a few spins to comprehend because the chorus just switches and goes in a different direction than the rest of the music.

Then yet another show off solo keeps you actually waiting for “She’s My Ecstasy” … and worth the wait it was. With “She’s My Ecstasy,” Shakra are back on track again. This should be the follow-up to “Take Me Now.” You almost want to go “oh,oh,oh” in between the chorus lines. “Make It Alright” is a bit over the catchy top though. This song is almost living next door to Alice, if you know what that means?! Shakra also shows their soft side here when they sing about the oceans of tears they cried when this or that woman left …

Good thing they pick up their honors again in “Nightlife,” because these guys obviously know how to have a good time and how to lose their brain, too. Again, both guitar players get to show off, and whether or not it’s Thomas Munster or Thom Blunier, one of them occasionally tends to sound a bit like Norway’s own Ronni Li Tekro (TNT) and that’s not something you hear everyday. Silent applause!

“Do You Know” is another track that seems to be a CD filler. The chorus almost seems catchy, but that’s just because the rest of the song is too dull. The last song on the album is “Immortal;” another ballad.

It’s doubtful to think this album will make Shakra immortal in any way, but it’s a varied album, and just the three tracks “Take Me Now,” “Chains of Temptation,” and “She’s My Ecstasy” make the album worth the money.