Into the Black
No, this is not
Chris Cornell’s new solo record, but it’s understandable why one would think
Into the Black by
Ritchie Kotzen really was the new release from the former
Soundgarden mouthpiece. His voice sounds a lot like
Cornell, like a lot, a lot . But I urge you to look past this striking similarity because this fella writes some good tunes, even though they’re all in the slow-to-mid-tempo range. He rips solos on nearly all the songs, most notably “Til You Put Me Down” and “Sacred Ground”. Despite the generic lyrics about saving your soul and being misunderstood, his delivery is powerful enough to make the words convincing. “The Shadow” benefits greatly from a strong chorus.
The beginning of “Your Lies” sounds like the classic rock hit “Alright Now” by Free. Two love ballads close out the album, “Livin’ In Bliss” and “My Angel”, but it’s not as stomach-churning as you’d think. “My Angel” has a great melody despite the lyrical material at hand. Kotzen produced and arranged all the songs here, and he does a good job of keeping things interesting by only relying on mid-tempo and slow grooves.
