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There are front men and then there are showmen, there are those that intrigue and those that captivate with their sheer physical presence, Michael Monroe sits firmly in the camp of showmen and captivating and it was a label he was more than happy to play up to with a certain amount of rock regal stance as he strutted upon the Indigo stage at the o2 with a gleaming smile and stone tight good attitude.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
You can’t beat a good old fashioned Rock record, it has the power to turn around a day in your favour, it has the ability to shine its magnificent torch into areas of conscious that often go unexplored and it breathes for the chance to take the soul on a journey of discovery. Above all, if the lyrics strike home with perfect clarity, it has the capacity within each layered song to shake the foundations of the house to the point where the neighbours either complain or bang on the door, carrying a keg of beer and wanting to join in the party.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Recording an album is only really as hard or as difficult as the artist wants it to be. There is of course the pain of opening the soul up so far that it allows others who have no connection to the musician, in the act of revealing one’s life, no matter how sincere the writing or score is, what is demanding and tiring. It can also be a blessing, a cathartic episode in which the musician just shows to the awaiting audience that what they know is at the end of the day, not all they know. Some will struggle to keep the fine line of privacy and public awareness separate, others embrace it. Michael Monroe, the man who certainly made Hanoi Rocks is one such individual who opens his heart and his latest album, Horns and Halos, is an absolute belter.