Kivel Records had been quiet on the release front, but label owner John Kivel recently stated that the machine would start cranking again in 2021 and the first release is one that seemed a bit out of left field to me. As far as I know Aliados is Kivel’s first South American band signing as they hail from Peru. I was a bit apprehensive when I read this because, to be honest, I was worried that there might be a vocal accent that would hinder my full enjoyment. Don’t get me wrong, there are bands from many parts of the world where their native language isn’t English, but the singers have endearing accents that ultimately, I very much enjoy. I think of bands like Scorpions, Bonfire and Fair Warning from Germany or many of the Scandinavian bands that have singers with varying degrees of accents. Aliados is in that category for sure and ultimately it will take repeated listens to ease the effect of singer Pepe Gonzalez’s somewhat heavy Spanish accent. I also am reminded of when Journey first tabbed Arnel Pineda and released “Revelation”. I remember loving the songs but had a bit of an issue with Arnel’s accent. As he got more comfortable with the language and annunciation it is not really an issue any longer so perhaps that could be the case with Aliados if they continue the course.
The opening and title track “Get Off My Life” is possibly my favorite song on the album. The song is super melodic and very AOR sounding. Judging from the pictures of the band in the CD booklet I envisioned a harder rock approach, but these guys lean more in the AOR direction for sure and that’s certainly OK by me. “You’re The One” is a slower song that has all the markings of a nice late ‘80s/early ‘90s rock ballad. “Learning To Live” is another early favorite for me. It might not be break new ground, but the song shows that Aliados know how to write good AOR music.
The songs on the album range from AOR rockers to slower ballads to mid-tempo rock songs and the songwriting is very good at times. While they may not be breaking any new AOR/Melodic Rock ground, if this style of melodic AOR is your bag, then you will find some enjoyable songs on “Get Off My Life”. The album seems a bit top heavy for me as the songs I gravitate towards after my initial listens were in the beginning of the record. In fact, the first six songs are finely crafted AOR with just enough guitars to give that little bit of a hard rock vibe that so many of us enjoy.
As I got deeper into the album, I found my attention wavering as the songs didn’t seem as attention grabbing as the earlier offerings. There seemed to be a focus on more mid-tempo songs and ballads that failed to command my attention. One song from later in the record titled “She Will Be” is one I thoroughly enjoyed though. It features a catchy chorus that will have you singing along. From my understanding the band has released several albums previously that were sung in their native language and they include one of those songs as the final track on “Get Off My Life”. The song “Luz”, which was the title track off their 2016 release is included as a Spanish language bonus track.
Overall, the Kivel debut and bands first English-sung album is a bit of a mixed bag for me. Aliados is a veteran band that show they know how to craft a solid melodic rock/AOR tune, but my ultimate feeling is they may need a bit more focus on getting comfortable doing so with the songs sung in English. The music department is covered as they know how to put together a good song. They are worth keeping an eye on and if given the chance to release another album with Kivel Records I’d be curious as to their progress for sure. If you enjoyed albums such as the Frontiers-released Waiting For Monday from last year then you will probably find interest in “Get Off My Life” from Aliados. I somewhat enjoyed both these albums but think there is more potential and would look forward to album number two. |
