I always admired Oliver Hartmann, from his early days with AT VANCE, even if the particular genre he bowed to back than was/is not my hottest cup of tea. But it's wise to evaluate a singer's passion when evident, and Oliver Hartmann has always been a passionate warm voice (Coverdale meets Larde meets Gramm meets Rea???) providing each project with his serious skills as a singer/frontman. Pursuing a solo career for four years now in his vehicle named HARTMANN, with two albums out via Frontiers Records, Oliver tries to standardize his solo status and truth is both previous albums featured an interesting set of songs in the melodic Metal/Rock field...
...something that's, sadly, not happening in this third HARTMANN album aptly called 3. Not kicking a man already down I have to foretell Oliver did not possibly have the same budget while recording for this new album since 3 is out on an own label in cooperation with Cmm Marketing. Thus, be it a consequence or not, this new CD is a little pale in its sound, with the drums pushed back and the guitars lacking the power needed to create a dynamic album.
As for the songs themselves, there are some good moments inside - like e.g. Right Here Right Now - unveiling (again) Oliver's respectful singing but the general impression I got listening to 3 for some times in a row was that HARTMANN tries to focus on simpler Rock forms now with enough calm moments, attempts to evaluate a more 'modern Rock' approach and not much in resemblance with the band's/singer's past. Common ground is more likely to be found in the 'melodic Rock' constituent of HARTMANN, else things are getting quite dimmer in terms of tension and energy.
Being a loyal fan of HARTMANN's first album (Out In The Cold - 2005) and a keen ear in the sophomore release (Home - 2007), let's just say that 3 seems in my ears to be the weakest creation of all three CDs. Of course it's not a bad or avoid! release, but we've seen/heard better from Oliver.