Right now, melody is making a resurgence in the world of rock and metal. Inspired by acts like Danger Danger and Def Leppard, a new breed of bands are adopting that ‘80s sound and are having quite a bit of success performing for a generation who weren’t even born when David Coverdale first unsheathed Whitesnake. London’s Night By Night are one of the leading lights of this burgeoning new wave of AOR and their debut opus NxN features some fist in the air, foot on the monitor anthems that will please both newcomers and long-time fans of the genre.
Co-founded by Sisters Of Mercy guitarist Ben Christo, the album starts strongly with the crunching ‘Time To Escape’. Aggressive and packed with plenty of hooks and three-part harmonies, the punchy riffs help make this more than another re-tread. In singer Henry Rundell they have a frontman with an impressive set of pipes. Elsewhere, ‘Can’t Walk Away’ is an enjoyable Leppard-steeped romp, while the sabre-rattling ‘A Thousand Lies’ has a spectacular chorus which calls to mind Stan Bush in his pomp. The direction-less ‘If Only’, the bloated ‘Never Die Again’ and cheesy ballad ‘Everywhere Tonight’ disappoint, but it’s still a fun affair.
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