Ten's "Babylon", a Solid Concept Album!
Antoinette Avalon | USA | 07/14/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Remember STYX "Kilroy Was Here"? Ten's Babylon is a concept album much like this classic STYX offering. Ten's vocalist Gary Hughes is much like STYX vocalist Dennis De Young as well, with wonderful vocal range and expressing intense emotion. Ten's "Babylon" takes the listener through the world of 2999 AD, under the premise that "The Great War" has left most of the earth uninhabitable and the human population lives in atmospherically controlled "domes". The album songs stand by themselves, but if you read the literature with the CD you get further insight to the story they are telling (much like STYX "Kilroy Was Here", once again.) "The Stranger" is a powerful song about feeling alienated. "Barricade" is a very sensual song that has a really good rhythm to it . . . but is NOT a ballad by any means. "Give in This Time" and "Love Became the Law" are powerful melodic rock songs. "The Heat" speeds up the pace a bit while still sporting the heavy guitar work heard throughout the album. "Silent Rain" is a powerful ballad. "Timeless" is another rhythmic song accompanied by LOTS of guitar work. "Black Hearted Woman" is a solid offering that is about a perfect murderess. "Thunder in Heaven" starts off with tons of guitar work then smoothly transitions into the vocals and is probably the most aggressive song on the album. "Valentine" finishes the album with a gentle, beautiful ballad. Overall, the album is strong melodic hard rock with a lot of heavy guitar . . . very much like STYX or Foreigner might offer. Many of the songs have a strong "grind" kind of rhythm that is infectious . . . makes you want to get up and dance. Some of the lyrics are very haunting and send a shiver up your spine. In between some of the songs there are spoken snippets that help string the story together. If you are already a fan of TEN then I expect you will enjoy this album. As a band that typically exhibits many facets on any given album, the style should not come as a big surprise to a seasoned TEN fan. For those of you who are new to TEN, I think if you like bands like STYX, Queen and other melodic hard rock acts that like to dabble with different sounds, you'll really enjoy TEN. I was hooked from the first song I heard by them! Any band with a really strong vocalist plus a different sound will always get my attention! Add this CD to your collection. I think you'll be glad that you did!"
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1
