What we get from Stan Meissner any time and every time is a total quality product, as with this release under the banner Metropolis.
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Metropolis
ALBUM: The Power Of The Night
LABEL: MTM Music
SERIAL: 0681-03
YEAR: 1999
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Canada
LINEUP: Stan Meissner – guitars, keyboards, drums, vocals * Peter Fredette – vocals, bass
TRACK LISTING: 01 Wild And Blue * 02 The Darkest Side Of The Night * 03 Never Look Back * 04 Walk Through The Fire * 05 Restless Moon * 06 A Million Miles Away * 07 Whatever Is Is * 08 The Eyes Of Love * 09 The Best Is Good Enough * 10 Running After A Dream * 11 The Power Of The Night
WEBLINKS: Site Link
Background
Not since 1992’s ‘Undertow’ have we seen a recorded effort from another GDM ‘hall of famer’ in Stan Meissner. What we do get from Stan any time and every time is a total quality product. This guy rolls out fantastic songs by the barrel-load. I cannot get enough of his material, even when it’s not penned under his own name, as with this release under the banner Metropolis.
Stan is working in collaboration with singer Peter Fredette who has a history working with another Canadian stalwart in Kim Mitchell. The material on Metropolis is just a further progression from ‘Undertow’ and his two other efforts ‘Window To Light’ and ‘Dangerous Games’, all wonderful albums in their own right.
Another highlight of the album are the impressive co-writes going on with each track. I mean, Carl Dixon (Coney Hatch), Bruce Turgon (Warrior, Foreigner), Dean McTaggart (Arrows), Eddie Schwartz, Stan Diamond, and Fred Mollin. The latter a long time musical colleague. Is that a roll call or what? Topped off by a generous production that only a perfectionist like Stan can come up with.
The Songs
Half of the songs are current, written in 1999 while the remaining half go back some years, hovering between 1986 and 1991. One of them is the Darby Mills And The Unsung Heroes track (and album title) ‘Never Look Back’. I think most AORsters worth their salt will remember that fantastic version from Darby and her crew. Well the Stan Meissner original is not too bad either.
The majority of this is superb AOR, mid paced a majority of the time, and the hooks are incredible. Anywhere within these songs are delicious moments of sheer class, whether it be the intro’s, verses, lead-ins/bridges, choruses, whatever. Songs such as effortless ‘Restless Moon’, the stabbing piano/keyboard attack of ‘The Darkest Side Of The Night’, and ‘A Million Miles Away’ keep coming back for more.
Take a listen to the delightful Toto-like ballad ‘The Eyes Of Love’ where Peter does his best Bobby Kimball impersonation. For foot thumping and heart pounding AOR of the finest sort check out the amazing ‘Walk Through Fire’, ‘The Best Is Good Enough’ and ‘Running After A Dream’, very reminiscent of Stan’s ‘Undertow’ era material.
In Summary
If there is one album that ended 1999 on a bright note it was this one. Highly recommended. In fact it would go close to being my album of the year. But then again, you get nothing less from Stan Meissner.
Video
Walk Through The Fire
Never Look Back
