Quite A Surprise!
Chuck Potocki | Highland, Indiana | 07/23/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"After all these years, Epitaph (not to be confused with the 90's death metal band who stole their name) has returned with their first album of new material since their 1982 LP "Danger Man" on the long-defunct Rockport label. Along with guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Cliff Jackson, many of the band's original & later members turn up on the CD, most notably, bassist Bernd Kolbe & a brief appearance by drummer Jim McGillivray. "Outside The Law"-era drummer Achim Wielert plays throughout, but notably absent is original lead guitarist Klaus Walz, who in my estimation was the perfect one-two guitar punch along with Jackson from the band's classic period.
Cliff Jackson had ventured off into (believe it or not) country music territory for some time, and although he & the rest of the band may be 25 years older, they haven't lost their hard rock edge. "Remember The Daze" contains some of their finest music in a very long time; not quite on a par of the "Outside The Law" album or before that, but very commendable nonetheless. The production quality is very slick & shiny with compressed, layered guitars & a huge drum sound; to be honest, this wouldn't have sounded out of place had it been released in the late 80's or early 90's, but surprisingly, it doesn't sound the least bit dated.
Jackson himself is still in fine voice, and hearing him sing again immediately evoked memories of Epitaph's early albums leading up to "Outside The Law" (can you tell yet that this is my favorite of their albums?). The tracks "Cold Rain", "Evermore" & the title track are among my favorites on the CD. For old & new fans alike, this is a real treat and well-worth seeking out. If this turns out to be their final album as Epitaph (which I really hope not), then what a way to go out!"
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1