I have been a huge fan of Michael Sweet ever since the first time I ever heard “Soldiers Under Command” way back in the day. His versatility, his range and distinct vocals have always caressed my palate in a way not many vocalists can for many, many years now and as for George Lynch? Easily one of my personal top three guitarists of all time. So combining these two along with exemplary bassist James Lomenzo of WHITE LION fame and world-class drummer Brian Tichy (WHITESNAKE/ FOREIGNER) seems like a “no-brainer,” right? I guess to most people it might but let’s be honest here, aside from their premier band associations, as solo artists, both of these guys have put out some weird or even “questionable” material from time to time so I went into this not truly know what to expect. Happily though, I must say their debut release “Only To Rise” lives up to its expectations… for the most part anyway.

The CD begins with the electrifying “The Wish” featuring a neat opening riff sounding almost on the lines of a mid-tempo IRON MAIDEN rocker before transforming into a more traditional STRYPER-ish sounding number highlighted by a big chorus and a George Lynch signature guitar solo. “Dying Rose” slows down the tempo a bit with a bluesier, more DOKKEN-ish vibe which leads into the even more laid-back “Love Stays” having an almost Tom Petty style lead guitar melody… very cool.

“Time Will Tell” is interesting as the lead guitar melody is enhanced by some serious reverb & echo effects which really work well with Sweet’s “To Hell With The Devil” style vocals. Then some SERIOUS cymbal crashing introduces “Rescue Me,” another mid-to-slower tempo number that delivers a serious punch as Lynch’s thick, rich guitar takes over to drive the song to a deliberate, intense end fading into the more haunting, Dokken-esq style ballad “Me Without You” which builds through another brilliant Lynch solo highlighted by some exquisite vocals and nuances by Sweet which really work together beautifully.

“Recover” is the first track on the release that really pushes the pedal down full throttle allowing both Sweet’s impressive falsetto’s and Lynch’s pulsating guitar leads to flow vigorously and free launching the release to a whole other level. And while the overall groove of “Divine” reverts back to a more mid-tempo flow, the intensity level gained by its predecessor keeps the ferocity going with some spectacular guitar leads and fills that only solidify Lynch’s legacy as one of THE premier guitar players of all time.

You just can’t listen to the opening of “September” without thinking of IRON MAIDEN’s “Wasted Years” but while the song is meant as a humbled tribute to the remembrance of 9/11, to me the message itself seems somewhat “dated” and lacks potency in light of all the events which have happened since that tragic day.

The addition of some underlying organ keys drives the melody of “Strength In Numbers,” another aggressive, mid-tempo rocker, but it also seems to change the tone of the whole release. The same can be said about “Hero-Zero” with it’s somewhat, off-beat style and arrangement that drags along making it almost seem like they were just going through the motions at this point as neither song is overly impressive and even a bit disappointing. The album does redeem itself, though, with the high-octane title track “Only To Rise” which brings the release to an enthusiastic end spotlighted by an extended Lynch guitar solo, some amazing falsettos by Sweet and even a very cool drum solo/ feature tying up the loose ends before fading to black.

I am glad to say the majority of “Only To Rise” has put most of my previous fears to rest as there are definitely enough high-powered, memorable chorus’, scintillating guitar parts and inspired arrangements to compliment the works that we have all come to know and love from both Michael Sweet and George Lynch. Yes, there are a few “bumps in the road” but this is one CD fans of either artist should never go without.