We should all be thanking the Gods of hard rock and heavy metal that David Coverdale decided to do another Whitesnake album. He always delivers the goods and the brand new ‘Flesh & Blood’ album is no exception. You know you’re getting, excellent riffs, catchy vocals melodies, killer drumming and all around world class musicianship. The only real weak spot in the Whitesnake formula is the lyrics. They’re not terrible or anything, but not super stimulating as say King’s X. But that’s not really the point with Whitesnake. You listen to them for incredible guitar playing, drumming and vocals. And this albums come through and through. My only criticism is that the album title is blatantly not original. As many know, it’s also the title of a very very successful Poison album. But it doesn’t take away from how strong the songs are written and arranged.
The album opener ‘Good To See You Again’ is one of the best openings on a Whitesnake record. It sets the mood of the album perfectly. And the riff is just classic, old school metal. This album overall is definitely on the heavier side of the Whitesnake spectrum. Which is alway welcome. ‘Gonna Be Alright’ is an excellent example of how Coverdale and crew can craft some world class rock. Yes, the lyrics aren’t particularly amazing. But the guitar melody is original and catchy. Coverdale’s voice is slightly worn at the age of 68. But I gotta say it’s really in tact and sounding pretty much in top form. And you can hear it on ‘Gonna Be Alright.’ The next track is the first single from the album entitled ‘Shut Up & Kiss Me.’ It’s just so much fun. A sick descending guitar riff during the verses. Coupled with Tommy Aldridge’s mega high energy drumming. By the way his drums sound amazing on the album. Very well produced. And the way the mood of the song mixes with the salacious lyrics is top notch. ‘Hey You (You Make Me Rock)’ is in the same vein but the tempo is slowed down and brought to the back. And the riff during the chorus is phat and heavy. The song is a good example of the heaviness that Whitesnake are going for on the album. There’s not many ballads on it. Something the band is known for.
‘Always & Forever’ is a upbeat rocker. It has a nice southern rock swing to it. It’s tough to say if the song is a ballad or not. Lets call it a very hard rocking ballad. Because the chorus melody is for sure on the ballad side of things. But it’s still a really upbeat, rocking song. ‘When I think of You (Color Me Blue)’ is more in the traditional ballad ballpark. All the way to track number six before we get a traditional ballad. That’s like, a record for Whitesnake. And there’s no complaints from this author. ‘Trouble Is Your Middle Name’ is one of the most kick ass songs on the album. It’s got that classic Whitesnake blues feel. But with a kick ass metal update. Joel Hoekstra’s solo is just mind blowing. As he is a mind blowing player. And I’m so glad that Coverdale decided to do an original track album with him. I really thought the Coverdale era Deep Purple album they did would be the last one. The title track grooves so tasty. It’s a mega sexy track. It contains that edge that made the genre so popular when it peaked in the 80’s and early 90’s. Despite it’s unoriginal title. Actually, I would say that this ‘Flesh & Blood’ might be better than Poison’s. I know those are big words.
‘Well I Never’, like much of the album, is a heavier version of that kind of hard rock that Whitesnake is associated with. I do love the little juicy ascending riffs at the end of the each phrase in the verses. ‘Heart of Stone’ has got a really ‘cool’ feel to it. It’s that dark blues feel that’s similar to ‘Cryin’ in the Rain.’ ‘Get Up’ is a simple, up tempo hard rocker as you can probably guess from the song title. ‘After All’ is actually a gorgeous ballad. Just Coverdale’s passionate voice and acoustic guitars. The album closes with a huge highlight, ‘Sands of Time.’ When the riff presents itself in the intro you just know it’s going to be great. And then the verse comes in with an awesome middle eastern vibe. I just love it when hard rock and metal bands do that. Then it morphs into an ear worm western melody on the chorus. You just gotta sing with it.
Overall, really just a solid solid album. God the guitar playing is so good. Reb Beach and Joel Hoekstra are almost meant for each other. The playing is just so rich. And every note is perfect for each moment of each solo. Of course, the highlight of most Whitesnake albums is the always exceptional guitar playing. Way beyond the call of duty for the genre. I would say if you’re a fan of Whitesnake you’re gonna love this record. If you’re not a fan because you don’t think they’re heavy enough, I would say give this album a shot. It’s not the ‘Is This Love?’ or ‘Here I Go Again’ type of material. It punches much more. But it’s not a perfect album. There are moments that feel a little rushed. Which occasionally gives the album an average feel. But it’s certainly, musically, way above average. I think it’s a solid Whitesnake album and hope you all out there enjoy it as much as I do.
