When you think of House Of Lords then the first thing that comes to mind is big anthemic rock songs with huge choruses, with layers of keyboards courtesy of Greg Guiffria. Well it has been over a decade since the release of the bands last album (1992s Demon Down) and the intervening 12 years have wrought changes a plenty in band. Guiffria is no longer with the band, and along with him has gone much of what is fondly remembered of the legacy of House Of Lords. What is on offer in 2004 is a paired down, guitar driven modern rock album. The sound the band has found for itself is not unlike Dokken, with perhaps a touch of the 'Slang' era Def Leppard. This however is not necessarily a bad thing, but may very well alienate many of the fans the band could have counted on and who wanted more of same thank you very much.

The album, as a whole, has a very understated feel to it. This is typified by opener 'Today' which introduces an Eastern flavour into the intro via acoustic guitar and keyboards. The melody and vocals are calm and thoughtful whilst the surrounding instrumentation is intelligent and well produced. Second track in 'All Is Gone' follows this example, although perhaps has a slightly edgier feel. Both tracks forego the anthemic hooks of yore, relying instead upon the song as a whole to draw in the listeners attention. The third song on offer is 'Am I The Only One' which continues the Eastern influences but in the setting of a ballad this time. It is not until the title track 'The Power And The Myth' that things change slightly. The song itself is an instrumental containing some powerful drumming, courtesy of Ken Mary, and a resonant bass track. Cordola's guitar parts are dark and melodic in places and in other more urgent, keywords wash the entire track with harmony and overall the piece works extremely well. 'The Rapture' blends in with the title track and is one of the strongest songs here. Christian sings with more power than on previous tracks but again the Eastern flavour spills over with some neat guitar fills and a well thought out solo.

'The Man Who I Am' is another ballad, this time with added layers of strings to add depth. This is perhaps the most traditional 'rock' song of offer here and hence is possibly the most memorable on first listen. 'Bitter Sweet Euphoria' is built upon solid bass and guitar riffs whilst the vocal retains the laid back feel of previous songs. 'Mind Trip' on the other hand is both funkier and heavier sounding,  relying on some tasty drum fills from Mary to add to the vocals and guitar lines that blend together superbly. The solo Cordola introduces is outstanding and the whole song has a 1970's vibe going.

'Child Of Rage' closes out the album in fine style. The song deals with the horrific subject of child abuse, and as such deserves the angry, passionate vocal performance that Christian displays. The song starts with just playground voices before acoustic guitar and harmony vocals lead into a simply arranged verse. Despite the subject matter on hand the chorus has some of the best hooks on the album accentuated by the use of female backing vocals. At times the song is reminiscent of Gun's And Roses, particularly that bands version of 'Knocking On Heavens Door' In many ways the song doesn't sit in with the feel of the rest of the album but is good enough to stand on its own as a track anyway

'The Power And The Myth' is an album that deserves repeated listens, it does not provide instant gratification in the way that some albums do, but takes time in order to be appreciated. The standard of playing served up by the band is first class and the production is tight and rewarding, but not in any way over the top. For a band to change its sound the way the House Of Lords has done is extremely risky but the results are worth that gamble, both to the listener and the band itself

Let us know your views on 'The Power & The Myth'

Track List

Today
All Is Gone
Am I The Only One
Living In Silence
The Power And The Myth
The Rapture
The Man Who I Am
Bitter Sweet Euphoria
Mind Trip
Child Of Rage

Line  Up

James Christian - Lead Vocals
Lanny Cordola- Guitars
Chuck Wright - Bass
Ken Mary - Drums