The king is back! Mr. Bob Magnum Catley is here once again with his brand new solo album Spirit Of Man. One of the most passionate voices of Rock music invades my MP3 player once again and demands my full attention. Those of you who know me are well aware that Bob Catley is one of the heroes of my youth, so don't expect this to be the most objective review in the world.
Spirit Of Man continues pretty much in the same vein as Catley's previous release When Empires Burn (2003). I know that many of you prefer his earlier and more melodic / epic works like The Tower (1998) or Middle Earth (2001) but none can deny the fact that even in his more Rock attempts Catley manages to deliver like a few only can. In my opinion this is achieved by two elements. First of all apart from having a distinct voice, Catley left his lighter side for Magnum while his solo releases are much heavier, secondly his guitarist never let him down by always delivering some stunning guitar work. So Mr. Catley is one of the few brilliant performers that never let their voice dominate everything in an album, thus all instruments have a vast space to move in and offer to the maximum.
However the Spirit Of Man can't be considered strictly a Rock album since it has some songs bringing in mind the first solo albums of Catley, and what a finest example than the album's head titled song and the moody Judgment Day. I strongly believe this album will satisfy the thirst of both young and older listeners of Mr. Catley.
In conclusion my dear boys and girls, this is another excellent release by a low profile singer that has quietly invested in quality all those years. And I invest in him...