Craig Hartranft dangerdog.com Review
Babylon A.D.: Revelation Highway
Thirty years is a long time for a band to stay together. It’s even more astonishing if the band has the same members from the start. Despite some gaps and downtime since forming in 1987, San Francisco’s Babylon A.D. has had the same original members: vocalist Derek Davis, guitarists John Mathews and Ron Freschi, drummer Jamey Pacheco, and bassist Robb Reid. With the Sunset Strip sound clashing with the Northwest’s grunge, the band was still able to score some hits, including Bang Go The Bells, Hammer Swings Dow, and The Kid Goes Wild from their eponymous debut album. Studio silent since 2000, Babylon A.D. returns with their fourth album, Revelation Highway.
Babylon A.D.
As recollection my serve you, Babylon A.D.’s sound is classic late Eighties melodic hard rock, with a generous metal edge and some AOR sensibility. Fleshing that out a little, you’ll hear some sharp and assertive riffs from twin guitars for that metal edge; melodic vocal harmonies combined with catchy refrains for that AOR accessibility; and, underneath it all, the rhythm and roar of a hard rock groove.