The latest effort from Phil Vinsent and co, number 9 to be more accurate, is energizing, modern hard rock with a twist. Imagine a late era DOKKEN with a singer who can deliver but this is not the whole story. The album has two outstanding songs. "Synergy." and '"The broken heart." Both of them are out of the classic Hard rock anthem duration coming close to 9 minutes the first and almost 16 the second. The interesting part is the songs have influences from bands like QUEEN, KANSAS and still keep the heavy, massive riffing on top.
What I really dig in D'ERCOLE is their taste for the middle era KANSAS with Steve Morse, where music complexity meets the melody in a more dark, moody phase. Vince O Regan lead guitar adds edge and complexity to an album that stretches the boundaries between modern rock and AOR, in a very constructive way.
If you are not familiar with the band, this is a good album to make an acquaintance. If you already know them, you will appreciate their effort not to stay stagnant but challenge themselves even without breaking the modern hard rock forms but simply reshaping them.
7.5