Place Vendome
I have very quickly become a huge fan of the AOR symphonic and melodic rock that is currently coming out of Europe and Place Vendome, may well be my favorite so far this year. Based in Germany, Place Vendome, is the brainchild of Frontier, Srl, President, Serafino Perugino. That being said, what could possibly go wrong with their fourth full length album, Close To The Sun? Absolutely nothing! Not to be confused with, Slightly Stoopid’s, Closer To The Sun, Place Vendome’s newest album is superb from start to finish.
Originally formed as a studio project in 2004, Place Vendome, has some serious bragging rights when it comes to their members and contributors! Serafino, not only enlisted the magnificent vocal talents of former, Helloween, frontman, Michael Kiske, but the catalogue of credited talent on Close To The Sun, reads like a musical version of The Dream Team, including several artists I have reviewed in the recent past.
Released on February 24, 2017, Close To The Sun, was preceded by three earlier albums; the first being self-titled, Place Vendome, was released in 2005, followed by, Streets Of Fire, in 2009 and Thunder In The Distance, in 2013. Each album features an array of artistic talent that makes it a bit of a masterpiece onto its own.
Close To The Sun is a beautiful collaboration of long standing musical talent and passion in which each track moves effortlessly into the next; a cohesive sense of space and time, yet as noted on the list of contributing artists below, every song is also brought forth by way of a large variety of individual sound and being. I could spend hours on each track just focusing on the chemical manner in which it exquisitely comes together and makes melodic rock so well received and timeless. Close To The Sun, and every album that Place Vendome, has produced before it, is what every collection of melodic rock needs to make to make it complete!
Place Vendome, is a studio project, and while I was not able to locate a specific website for the project, they can be found on YouTube and many other music service sites. It is also my understanding that, Michael Kiske and his monstrous vocals, will return to Helloween for its 2017/2018 world tour. You can find more information on this upcoming event at: http://pumpkins-united.helloween.org. Close To The Sun and all of Place Vendome’s previous releases can be found on Amazon and all other reputable music retailers.
LISTEN TO A SAMPLE OF CLOSE TO THE SUN
Place Vendome is:
Lead Vocals – Michael Kiske
Backing vocals – Dennis Ward, Michael Kiske
Bass – Dennis Ward
Keyboards – Günter Werno
Drums – Dirk Bruinenberg
Produced by Dennis Ward
- Close To The Sun is:01. Close To The Sun
- Welcome To The Edge
- Hereafter
- Strong
- Across The Times
- Riding The Ghost
- Light Before The Dark
- Falling Star
- Breathing
- Yesterday Is Gone
- Helen
- Distant Skies
Additional album credits:
All rhythm guitars by Dennis Ward, except: “Welcome To The Edge”, “Across The Times”, “Close To The Sun”, “Hereafter” – Rhythm Guitars by Uwe Reitenauer
Additional Choirs on “Strong” by Alessandro Del Vecchio
Guitar solo by Michael Klein on “Yesterday Is Gone”, “Distant Skies”, “Strong”, “Breathing”.
Guitar solo by Uwe Reitenauer on “Close To the Sun”
Guitar solo by Alfred Koffler on “Welcome To The Edge”
Guitar solo by Magnus Karlsson on “Falling Star”
Guitar solo by Gus G on “Light Beyond The Dark”
Guitar solo by Simone Mularoni on “Hereafter”
Guitar solo by Mandy Meyer on “Helen”
Guitar solo by Kai Hansen on “Riding The Ghost” and “Across The Times”
By: Siege / BackStage360