Surveillance - Angelstation(2006)

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Surveillance - Angelstation(2006)

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Although it took a few good listens, I like what is on offer here – musically speaking. It has that straight forward British melodic hard rock feel, with some good songs and strong melodies to appreciate.
I also like the lead vocals of Lee Small. He doesn't hide the fact the Glenn Hughes is a clear and obvious influence over his style, and at times I hear some classic Hughes featured – both vocally and with the musical direction.
The songs themselves have a lot to offer. Traditional British rock for the most part, but some nice twists and a few original passages of music.
What I don't like is the production. This album sounds awfully hollow – especially with the lead vocal compared to the rhythm section - and the mix is really quite harsh on the ears.
The drum sound is lacking any major influence over the album and the guitars sound very muddy. These aspects take away from a lot of the possible enjoyment.
In Motion is a solid and catchy rocker to kick-start the album, but the mix problem is evident right off the bat.
Burning is a more intense and an even heavier rocker, with a little Iommi / Hughes influence.
Reflections, Messiah and The Primitive Soul are three tracks which use a more commercial melodic rock style, but the sound also changes – especially on Reflections - to a tinny, hollow style.
Middleman returns to the more aggressive style of the opening tracks, as does the sound, only highlighting the difference in sound throughout the album. Truth and The Holy suffer from the production quality badly and cannot be appreciated fully because of this.
The Bottom Line
This is an ok collection of songs, but add in the sound quality and it becomes an album that will struggle for market share in a competitive environment. Lee has an enjoyable voice and I hope to hear more from him, but this album definitely falls short of expectations.