The CHRISTIAN TOLLE PROJECT have had quite the career to date. Forming in 2000, founder Christian Tolle released the hard rock project's debut album "Better Than Dreams" the same year. Following this, the CHRISTIAN TOLLE PROJECT's second release "The Real Thing" was revealed in 2005. Furthermore, "Point Blank" was released in 2018 after a lengthy thirteen-year hiatus. The CHRISTIAN TOLLE PROJECT are well and truly back in our lives, with the recent release of their fourth studio album "Now & Then Encore" on July 29^th, 2022, via ChrisTones Music.

The first track on the album is "Ain't Gonna Let It Slide", which instantly intrigues me with its constant funky guitar riff as well as the addition of occasional string instrumentals. The chorus is pretty good - I would listen to this track again. "Never Had It So Good" begins with a thumping riff, before some more string themed instrumentals kick in - fantastic! Christian Tolle's incredible vocal range just make this song what it is. "Sword and Stone" is up next, which is in a similar vein. The chorus just completes this track, adding some real memorability to the proceedings. It is definitely one of the best songs on the release so far! "Angel" exudes a southern rock vibe, taking me back in time. It sounds a real mix of KID ROCK and BRYAN ADAMS. "Raining From My Eyes" is next, which has a similar feel to it. This song has some raw and honest emotion behind it, making it all that more impactful. However, I feel like it goes on for a touch too long! "Fire Away" is a lot faster in pace, but it just sounds identical to what I have heard so far. "Monkey Park" begins with a promising riff, but again it isn't overly memorable - such a shame. "She Doesn't Know" is pretty mundane as a whole, unfortunately. I was just waiting for it to end.

The final track on the album is "In the Dark", which features some outstanding vocals from Christian Tolle, not to mention the instrumentals throughout. Saying this, the song is just a bit bland and cringy. Overall, I found "Now & Then Encore" lackluster in comparison to other similar albums I have heard. There was just no variation and the songs within the compilation just seemed to blend into one another. I hope that the CHRISTIAN TOLLE PROJECT really consider experimenting with their sound a little bit more for the next release - it would make their music a lot more memorable, that's for sure!