Album Review — Black Swan

Black Swan — Shake The World

It’s official — we are firmly in the age of the supergroup. Musicians have always strayed and played with other musicians, but we are to the point where guys are in multiple bands at the same time. The results of these projects are mixed. Sometimes the chemistry isn’t there and it just doesn’t work. But when the right musicians get together to create — magic happens.

Black Swan is a new project that features Robin McAuley (MSG), Reb Beach (Winger, Whitesnake, Dokken), Jeff Pilson (Foreigner, Dokken, The End Machine) and Matt Starr (Mr. Big, Ace Frehley). The best word I can come up with to describe their debut album, “Shake The World”, is magic.

The first two tracks on the record are the first two singles that the record company released. “Shake The World” is a great album opener. It’s heavy and with attitude and McAuley’s announces his return with authority right from the start.

“Big Disaster” is up next and although not as heavy, is full of the same in your face attitude. I can’t get over how great McAuley sounds. Why haven’t we heard more from him over the years? I don’t know why, but it sure isn’t because he’s lost anything. If possible, he sounds better than he did thirty years ago.

What comes next is where the magic truly happens. “Johnny Came Marching” feels like it’s the updated sequel to Def Leppard’s “Billy’s Got A Gun”. Songs with a message are great, but when they rock like this one does, it’s pure magic. After only a few listens this song already is a candidate for song of the year.

It’s hard to follow up a song like “Johnny Came Marching”, but there’s no drop off with “Immortal Souls”. It’s another fantastic song that is even a little more melodic than what we’ve heard so far.

What I appreciate most about this band is they truly have their own sound. They don’t sound like MSG or Dokken or Winger or any of their collective previous bands. This is truly something new.

The album takes it down a notch with “Make It There”, but not a drop in quality. I’m not sure I’d call it a ballad, but it’s definitely a slower track compared to what we’ve heard so far. It’s got a huge chorus and McAuley shines again.

As you would expect, the band follows up a slower track with a heavy one. Beach’s heavy guitar riffing is featured on “She’s On To Us”. But there’s plenty of melody in the chorus.

Other highlights include “Long Road To Nowhere” which features some excellent guitar work from Beach. The album closer, “Divided/United” almost sounds like two songs. “Divided” is heavy on piano but at the halfway mark of the six minute track, Beach’s guitar kicks in and the song takes a heavy turn.

This album is long. At eleven tracks it’s a good hour long but the songs don’t drag at all. These songs are well crafted that go somewhere but give room for these excellent musicians to shine.

I know these musicians are busy with their other projects, but I sure hope this project becomes a band that tours and continues to make music. It would be a shame for something this good to not continue.

If you are a hard rock fan, it’s hard to imagine you aren’t a fan of at least one of the bands that these guys have played in. Do yourself a favor and check this record out. I’d make the argument that this record is better than anything that any of those collective bands have ever released. And that’s saying something.

95 out of 100

Track Listing

1. Shake The World
2. Big Disaster
3. Johnny Came Marching *
4. Immortal Souls *
5. Make It There
6. She’s On To Us
7. The Rock That Rolled Away
8. Long Road To Nowhere
9. Sacred Place
10. Unless We Change
11. Divided/United

*Best Songs