It is said that "Home is where the heart" is. Such a meaningful sentence, bears a bit of drama to it and that special kind of a poetic vibe. It can be inferred for various of reasons and life's unending junctures. Referred to the music industry, home can be described as the starting point, where a musician began his first footsteps, hoping to march on to glory, developing his talent as years go by with peers at his side. I wonder if Doogie White and his old Scottish band mates of the Hard Rock / Heavy Metal band LA PAZ felt the same way about coming home, getting back together after so many years. It began with "Granite", the debut featured under Metal Mind Productions that also pointed the band's official return to action losing its sight in the late 80s, and here they are, keeping the ship going with the release of "The Dark And The Light", unleashed by the same label. It seemed that the comeback is beyond the release of albums, and option that failed to be fulfilled years ago, but it is about the collaboration and the sensation of teamwork playing live as in the good old days, and on "The Dark And The Light", as on "Granite" before it, there are the same explicit reminders of the marvels of those days.

What I have always admired about LA PAZ's music is their methods on retaining past memories of stimulating heavy Rock, just before hatching the spice of Metal into the nights air. Setting their course of musical engagement with high calibre influences such as DEEP PURPLE, a few URIAH HEEP pleasantries and post Dio era of RAINBOW, ascertaining a shaped fusion of 70s and 80s Hard Rock and pre Metal fundamentals. The band's busy man Doogie White (TANK, solo act, ex-YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, ex-RAINBOW, ex-CORNERSTONE) sounds brighter and resilient than ever, one of the best British voices in Rock no doubt, still able to enshrine a near perfect high pitchers and quality mid-range vocals performance. I also enjoyed Chic McSherry guitaring, highly varied, mixing great vintage grooves and slick Blues outcomes, and atop those old-fashioned soloing. Andy Mason at the keyboards, while not appearing to be putting quite an effort, kept the halo cover in check, providing a classy feel to the songs. Main contenders of the rhythm section, meaning Alex Carmichael (Bass) and Paul McManus (Drums), affected with a few flashy centrepieces.

Through the vast lands of "The Dark And The Light", it can be determined that LA PAZ nearly covered everything that their past permitted, back in the days when they were switching from stage to stage, performing almost without taking a break. Ranging classic Rock through Blues, through Hard Rock to the chips of Metal, it was all neatly packed, sometimes as profound examples but with fillers to keep them company. "Devil In Disguise" is assumingly the band's strongest number, favouring the RAINBOW direction of keyboards' harmony, crafty guitar work, epic measures and a hymn chorus, quite diverse in contradiction to the others that seemed a bit modest. "Sweet Little Mistreated" and "The Good Old Days", can be referred as cry outs for freedom, Hard Rockin' preachers, catchy tunes glorifying to the old days of the 70s with a little punch of 80s heaviness. "Don't Drink With The Devil" a wonderful DEEP PURPLE orientation of their efficacious early 70s period of Rock acuteness. White vocals are insane; his smooth demeanour is an integral part of the songs elegance. "Men Of War" could have been easily be traced as a part of the TANK legacy, a great hymn to honour those who fight and protect. It appeared a tad repetitive at times, yet still a solid song. Generally, "The Dark And The Light" is a little journey with a band that wanted to see it all, but still haven't. However, I am sure that if they will keep rocking the boat like that, they will.