SABU – Banshee

Sabu is the brainchild of the wildly talented musician/songwriter/producer Paul Sabu who is known for his work with David Bowie, Alice Cooper, and Madonna among many others, and what a thrill it is to hear him tear it up on this exquisitely crafted solo album of his titled Banshee. While the terms AOR and melodic rock apply to this offering to a huge extent, it sounds and feels more like a hard rock output. There are some explosive riffs in place here as well as a good mixture of mid-paced rockers and fiery barnstormers, and the production is much more vibrant and rawer than what one is usually accustomed to when it comes to Frontiers Records releases, which is a plus. There is light and shade to the majority of compositions and the vocals are straight from the heart and brimming with passion. The awesome Barry Sparks (Michael Schenker Group, UFO, Dokken) is Paul’s musical collaborator here, and I must say that the two of them are a fantastic duo when it comes to churning out quality songs with longevity to them. There is something refreshing and inspired about Banshee that totally works for me, and you ought to devote some time to this impressive slice of dynamic rock.