WINGER [US] - Melodic Rock
Recommended albums
Discography01|1988|Winger
US #21 (Platinum) | 759 (#6) 02|1990|In The Heart Of The Young US #15 (Platinum) | 771 (#3) 03|1993|Pull US #83 | 789 (#2) 04|2006|IV 768 (#4) 05|2009|Karma 811 (#1) 06|2014|Better Days Comin’ US #85 | 767 (#5) |
Rock Report's choiceKarmaFrontiers, 2009
Produced by C.F. Kip Winger Ratings: HH: 89 (32) | RYM: 3.66 (168) Total rating: 811 Updated: 150324 Line-upC.F. Kip Winger (v, b, k)
Reb Beach (g, v) John Roth (g, v) Rod Morgenstein (d | pi on tr. 11) + Michael Chapdelaine (g on tr. 11) |
Track listing01|Deal With The Devil (W/B/P)
02|Stone Cold Killer (W/B) 03|Big World Away (W/B) 04|Come A Little Closer (W/B) 05|Pull Me Under (W/B/H) 06|Supernova (W/B/PJW) 07|Always Within Me (W) 08|Feeding Frenzy (W/B/PJW) 09|After All This Time (W/B/R) 10|Witness (W/B) 11|First Ending (M) SongwritersB = Reb Beach
H = Dann Huff M = Rod Morgenstein P = Donnie Purnell PJW = Paula J. Winger R = John Roth W = C.F. Kip Winger |
Rock Report review
If we don't count the "Demo Anthology" and "Live" albums - both released in 2007 - this "Karma" is the follow-up of 2006's "IV", which I described as a mix of classic and modern Winger with some acoustic and progressive elements thrown in for good measure. At the time it took me a couple of spins to get into the material, which I can't say about the new album, "Karma". Inspiration for this platter came about at the end of 2008, when vocalist Kip Winger had the vision to melt the more commercial, heavier and song-oriented approach of the first two albums with the more thinking man's approach of the last two studio albums. That's why the new album was called "Karma". The result is a stunning new album, that brings the listener a mix of all things Winger we've listened to in the past. Naming highlights is difficult and even a bit dangerous, but for now I would prefer "Come A Little Closer" (the perfect mix of old and new Winger?), "Supernova", "Always Within Me" (my personal favourite of the whole album), the 'dragging', bluesy ballad "After All This Time" and - last but certainly not least - the classic rocker "Witness" (hear those screaming guitars). We had to wait three years for it, but "Karma" is a beauty of a record which brings the band full circle.
Chris Lambert, November 2009
Chris Lambert, November 2009