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GIANT
Stand And Deliver
Frontiers Music Srl

Perfect plans!
One desire!
And that's just the name of some of the bands who were affiliated in this ongoing comeback!

Just as Kurt Cobain was stalking the Billboard album charts, smelling the blood of his permed and glammed-up nemeses and then some, an up-and-coming AOR/hard rock band from Tennessee by the name of GIANT were poised to claim the golden goose with their debut 1989 album, The Last Of The Runaways. It was an album of its era that had everything going for its success - heavenly-sounding melodic riffs courtesy of vocalist/guitarist Dann Huff, powerful drumming by his brother David, neat hooks and powerful keyboard interludes from Alan Pasqua, and three hit singles in the form of "I'm A Believer", "Innocent Days" and their most well-known (and only top 40) hit "I'll See You In My Dreams". Yet, what the album didn't really have enough of was a window of time as the 80's hard rock scene was starting to gradually wind down, and by 1992, their follow-up album Time To Burn was not quite as successful in terms of sales compared to its predecessor, prompting the band's flame-out less than a year later. And as the GIANT name slept for about a decade or so, its members, most of whom already had a solid background in production, built up their profile even further over the years. As luck would have it, at around the same time, the AOR/hard rock scene was burgeoning big in Europe, with many of its own pioneers citing GIANT as one of their main influences and also being one of the first big names being signed to Italian label Frontiers Music, which launched their comeback third album III in 2001. Unfortunately, Dann's busy schedule along with the other members' commitments made the reunion impossible to carry on as had originally been planned; luckily, the vision of bringing GIANT back as a band with a recording and touring lineup was something that the band was still open to exploring, even if Dann had to step away. Thus, original members, drummer David Huff and bassist Mike Brignardello, with the blessing of Dann, started endless research for the right musicians that could be part of a renewed GIANT lineup. In the end, the choice fell on vocalist Terry Brock (ex-STRANGEWAYS) and guitarist John Roth (WINGER, STARSHIP) - and from there was 2010's Promise Land born, a fan favorite, showcasing top quality songwriting and performances. GIANT, however, went into hibernation again, with the exception of a one-off show in 2017, where the original band members reunited on a Nashville club stage for a charity event. That event piqued fan interest and Frontiers and David Huff started talking again to see if they could manage to find the right formula for a new album from GIANT. When the Swedish band PERFECT PLAN released a cover version of their original hit "Stay" in 2019, then all pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place. Huff and Brignardello were keen on the idea of PERFECT PLAN's vocalist Kent Hilli handling lead vocals for the next GIANT release. Dann Huff gave his seal of approval, appearing on lead guitar on the single "Never Die Young", which anticipated the successful release in 2022 of the Shifting Time album.

By now, you're kinda getting the idea that GIANT have had about the same number of comeback attempts as the ROLLING STONES at this stage of their career, even if their own comebacks have always been a bit more low-key. With that said, GIANT have always strived to deliver the most committed and monumental performance they've come to expect from themselves as much as their fanbase have come to expect from them.

Perhaps that's why GIANT's upcoming Frontiers release was titled Stand And Deliver after all. It showcases once again the talents of David Huff on drums, Mike Brignardello on bass, Kent Hilli (of PERFECT PLAN) as the commanding lead vocalist, with the addition of Finnish-born Jimmy Westerlund (ONE DESIRE) on guitars. An accomplished producer himself, Westerlund also takes on mixing duties alongside Alessandro Del Vecchio, who adds his touch on keyboards as a featured guest.

As if this dynamic combination of talent was not enough, the album also includes some gems penned by the original guitarist and singer Dann Huff including "Time To Call It Love" (a collaboration with the late Mark Spiro), "Holdin' On For Dear Life" and "Paradise Found", coming both from his sessions with Van Stephenson, which strongly link the new album, especially with the sound of 1992's classic Time To Burn. Sonic wise, the album brings GIANT's sound to greater heights while retaining its melodic and organic-sounding core, with the lead-off single "Hold The Night" being the closest-sounding to the Last Of The Innocents era thanks in part to Westerlund's wide open rhythm and precise soloing. Kent Hilli's vocals are of the rare kind that sound both timeless and fresh, with his range varying from earnest crooning to powerful serenading. And, finally, despite the on-off comeback which GIANT have occasionally found themselves at, the rhythm section comprised of both David Huff and Mike Brignardello remain as musically tight as they've been nearly 40 years ago since the band's inception.

They may not be the most fashionably attractive band in the current rock mainstream, but one has to credit GIANT for not allowing their brand of melodic-sounding hard rock dwarf their accomplishments or talents as globally-renowned musicians. Stand And Deliver is further proof that GIANT have the sturdy shoulders to withstand any musical trend determined to conquer their stomping ground.

5.0 Out Of 5.0

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