Band:	Shortino-Northrup
Album:	Afterlife
Style:	Hard rock
Release date:	May 17, 2004
A review by:	Malcolm

01. Here I Am
02. Afterlife
03. Like A Stone
04. Crazy Mind
05. Feel Again
06. Crossfire
07. Slave
08. Gypsy Soul
09. Mark My Words
10. As I Fall
11. Prisoner

I got some divined thoughts about this kind of Hard Rock, because it's often that there is releases that's so overrated, the album sounds just like what other album in the same genre, and that's o boring.
But sometimes you find very original bands too, I don't say this is such case, but I say it's possible.
Hmm, now it sounded like I didn't like this release a bit, but that's wrong, go on and read the rest of the review and you'll see my opinion.

Mastermind in this "band" is no other than the guitarist, producer and songwriter J K Northrup, famous for writing songs to Foreigner, and being a member of XYZ.
And after last years best of Northrup, the guy understood that he wanted to give us more.
Paul Shortino was recruited, also the drummer BE Haggards & keyboardist Nir Averbuch (XYZ), and the album "Afterlife" was recorded.
And no others than Johnny Edwards (Foreigner) and Tommy Dennander (Radioactive) I guest playing.

So it's no newbies we talking about here, it's years and years of experience that's streaming out of my speakers, so it's hard not to fall for some songs here and there.
But I also feel that someone like Northrup could write songs that's even better than this, some of the almost feels like fillers, and that's so sad.
The biggest plus the album gets is thanks to Paul Shortino, he does a tremendous work behind the mic, even if I in some songs don't think he fit's, but in most of them, it's thanks to him that the songs are as good as they are. (Funny thing, in the song "Crazy Mind", Paul almost sounds like Axl Rose in Guns N' Roses, hehe).

With a beautiful (innocent) cover artwork I hoped that the album would blow me away, but unfortunately there is some pieces missing for that.
First the albums should need one or two real killer songs, and that's missing. The songs that are, is just good, some are a little better, but the mean value is too low to give the album a high score.
Second, I wish more from the music, it's just to simple here, to much old clichés is used, nothing new, nothing better than others.
But it's absolutely not a band album, do not think that, it's a very listenable album that will please the fans in the genre, but it's not groundbreaking, it's no masterpiece.

I can't really recommend this to peoples that's want to explore the beautiful work of Hard Rock, there is other albums that you should start with.
But for more diehard fans, check is up, I'm sure that you'll find some joy in it, maybe it's even the best you'll find this year.

Favourite songs: "As I Fall", "Prisoner", "Gypsy Soul", "Like a Stone" & "Afterlife".