The magic of writing reviews for any kind of media - printed or electronic, mass or 'obscure' - partially lays on the chance you have to listen (in prior) albums you'd rarely have the opportunity as a 'normal' fan. To be specific: who'd guess the legendary name of Joe Lynn Turner behind the 'Sunstorm' band/project title of this reviewed release! Not only this is a good surprise, but more is to follow:
For the 'faithful', this charismatic Rock singer released his brilliant Rescue You debut album back in 1985. Whoever remembers that time, it was a massive approval that awaited for Turner after the disbanding of Rainbow and prior to his work with Deep Purple in the Slaves & Masters (1990) album. The correlation to the Sunstorm release is this: most of the songs featured in this 2006 album were written back in 1986 to - then - be released in Turner's sophomore album! An album that never came (at that time). Joe Lynn Turner - encouraged by the Frontiers label manager - agreed to 'update' them in cooperation with none other than Pride Of Lions/ex-Survivor mainman Jim Peterik, so as to 'shape' them for a 'current' release. Dennis Ward (Pink Cream 69, Place Vendome) handled the console duties and here it is!
Not sure if all of the tracklist lays on that 1986 'period' (a couple tunes may be of newer 'age', as I had the chance to find out), Sunstorm is exactly what their creators wanted to deliver. Excellent 80s AOR music featuring a spectacular performance by Turner; passionate, loving, delicate, faithful. The rest of the 'crew' performs great as well and - backed by the 'retro-but-classic' production of Dennis Ward - the whole album 'smells' success.
In the vain of - primarily - Turner's Rescue You album, but also similar to the likes of Journey, 'calm' Night Ranger, Survivor and 'late' Foreigner, Sunstorm is necessary for classic AOR fans. This, for a start. If you have any doubts, try to listen to cuts like Making Up For Lost Time, Fame And Fortune and Another You and then do what you'd anyway do: grab it.