This one seemed to have materialized out of thin air. I had no idea any of these guys had a project in the works, so I consider this a welcome surprise. The easy approach to this album and review in general, would be to say it's simply a DOKKEN reboot with a new vocalist, or even a revitalized LYNCH MOB. None of that is really accurate at all, and in particular would be unfair to all the musicians and in particular, to Don Dokken. So rather, I've tried to look at this project as its own entity; a new band looking for an unbiased, fair review. So let's dive in.....I think you'll be glad we did.

THE END MACHINE is going to fall into the Melodic/Power/Classic Metal field, with more focus on the first two. "Leap of Faith" starts us off slowly and building into nice mid pace rocker. Immediately it's apparent that everyone is represented well in the mix, with Jeff Pilson's bass nice and noticeable. Not content to just sling some bass notes, Pilson's background harmonies meld fantastically with Robert Mason's leads for the memorable chorus. "Hold Me Down" picks up the pace a bit more, and features some fabulous fret board work from George Lynch. But things really kick off for me with "No Game". Lynch and Pilson create a dirty/sleazy feel that seems perfectly suited for Mason's powerhouse vocals. "Bullet Proof" continues on the previous sleazy theme, and just builds with a smoldering intensity. Lynch plays a nice acoustic solo run before his actual guitar solo roars in. That legendary tone is absolutely present and accounted for, and both of these songs kick ass. "Ride It" is another fast paced track that really showcases the technique and skills of "Wild" Mick Brown and absolute fusion between him and Pilson.

"Burn The Truth" is represented twice, once as a standard track, and once again closing the album as an acoustic version (Japananese version only). It's a great mid paced power ballad that again shines with its harmonies. I preferred the acoustic version a bit more, but both are strong. "Hard Road" might be a bit of a sleeper here. Not in its intensity, but it's one that sinks its teeth in more with each listen. "Alive Today" capitalizes again on the vibe of "No Game" and "Bulletproof" and seems to really show the strength of the band the most. These three songs are the ones that really stood out for me as the highlight tracks. Not for any one band member's singular performance, but rather as a collective effort. "Sleeping Voices" slows things down to a somewhat bluesy ballad feel which Mason's vocal style again nails perfectly. "Life is Love is Music" closes things out strongly and I'm left smiling as I consider what I've just experienced.

THE END MACHINE's debut album is a good one. Well written songs, well performed by a band that collaborates seamlessly. Obviously when a lineup is as stacked with talent as this one, great things are expected. All too often projects like this fail to live up to the expectations. Consider this one an exception. THE END MACHINE have a good thing here, one that I hope they continue to build on and take out on the road.