- advertisement -

SMITH/KOTZEN
Black Light/White Noise
BMG Records

With sophomore album Black Light/White Noise the illustrious duo of guitarists/singer/songwriters Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen do not disappoint in delivering a full-bodied blues and hard rock driven set of tunes that serve as a smooth and tasty follow-up to the well-crafted eponymous Covid-era debut release of 2021.

This time even more than before, the two combine their skills in a true partnership. In addition to sharing songwriting and production credits across the board, the two seamlessly trade off scorching guitar leads, each alternately singing verses of the songs, and adding more layered combinations of the two voices in harmony on the choruses. Each of the ten compact and tightly structured tracks hovers at around 4-5 minutes each, except the shorter opening "Muddy Water" (a title that undoubtedly sets the tone for the whole album) and the much longer and atmospheric "Beyond The Pale" - the record's closing number and only ballad - clocking in at over seven minutes.

One aspect of this collaboration which may be surprising to some is that Adrian Smith, renowned IRON MAIDEN guitarist, is so apparently deeply steeped into the bluesy, almost ZEPPELIN-esque or PURPLE-ish brand of hard rock that is exhibited on both SMITH/KOTZEN albums so far. However, both of those bands have been cited as early influences by most members of MAIDEN and other same-era British bands. So, more surprising, in particular, is that Smith has such a strong and soulful bluesy singing voice that never would have been apparent unless you had heard him perform with his pre and post-MAIDEN solo bands. In any case, the combination of Smith's deeper, gritty voice along with Kotzen's higher register tenor creates just the right similarity and contrast to give the songs real meat on the bones.

With this and the first album certainly generating enough excellent material for a complete set, one would hope to see this collaboration LIVE beyond the few US dates and Euro tour that followed the first record. However, with IRON MAIDEN's 50th Anniversary World tour commencing soon, it may be a case of delayed gratification on that front - for now. Meanwhile we have this highly melodic, concise, and hard-driving record to feast on, replete with the top-notch guitar work one might hope for based on the known talents of Smith and Kotzen. In short, Black Light/White Noise is a true modern classic for the longstanding fans of muscular, blues-tinged heavy rock.

4.5 Out Of 5.0