Chase

Item: In Pursuit
Author: Doug Van Pelt

In Pursuit

(1993)

Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt

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Label Salt MusicHeaven's Metal #45January/February 1994

aor arena rock hard rock melodic rock

Wow! Here's a band that makes a pretty noteworth debut. I love it when a band can pull this off out of the blue. First cut here, "Keeping My Mind," brings back memories of early Chosen Stranger (remember their cut on Underground Metal?). Good melodic sensibilities with a hard rock FM radio approach. Cut two, "Spectrum of Emotion," finds the band in a Def Leppard-ish commercial groove with good BGV's and punch. Cut three, "I Am Living You," is the first taste of this Idle Cure ballad approach. This one may get the girls with lighters at the show to light up the sky, because we're talking c-l-e-a-n. The BGV's could please any A.C. (Adult Contemporary) station programmer.

Now, diversity is fine in my book; but the crucial question is: Who wins the battle of most airplay -- the ballads or the rockers?

Cut four, "Love is the Reason," tilts the balance back in the Def Leppard heavy ballad zone. Besides the obvious Def Lep sound, this tune could enjoy a long life on radio.

Lyrically, this album touches on a lot of real-life issues like keeping a marriage and family together. "So how can we live together/ Knowing all that we've been through?/ Love should last forever, and time will always heal our wounds."

When I noticed who produced this album, I was no longer surprised that I was hearing a quality production. Bill Baumgart, who produced the early Idle Cure records, does a great job here. The album finishes up with: rockin' tunes - 8; wimpy ballads - 2. I'd call that a success. Pop metal lives on with Chase. Fans of Siloam and Def Leppard should have no qualms with this disc.