Album Review - Live - Songs from Black Mountain
John Metzger
By Kirk deCordova
With the release of Songs from Black Mountain, the boys from York,
Pennsylvania known collectively as Live are back with their first new
studio album since 2003's Birds of Pray. The band's re-emergence has
been met with mixed emotions from its fans, with some longing for the
harder rocking fare of its early '90 outings, such as Mental Jewelry and
Throwing Copper, and others feeling satisfied just to have fresh
material in hand, even if it doesn't reach the stellar heights of the
group's previous endeavors. In effect, Live has mellowed over the years,
and although it doesn't pack as much of a punch, the outing does contain
all of the elements that attracted listeners to its music: gripping
vocals from Ed Kowalczyk; impressive musicianship from guitarist Chad
Taylor, bassist Patrick Dahlheimer, and drummer Chad Gracey; solid
production; good tunes; and the raw synergy that defines the ensemble.
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