With
Jonathan Cain
,
Steve Perry
, and
Neal Schon
leading
Journey
once again, and bassist
Ross Valory
and drummer
Steve Smith
behind them, it would seem that
Trial by Fire
would contain the same elements that gave them their stardom in the '80s. Disappointingly, though, there is nothing captivating or even the least bit attractive about this unimaginative release.
Perry
's singing hasn't lost too much of its power, but the faster tunes come off as contrived and messy. Sounding hard and scattered, the smoothness of their trademarked music is nowhere to be found, replaced with brash, beat-up, hollow
rock
riffs. The
ballads
fare no better, as the passion that once flourished within the band when it came to slowing things down has long since faded. Just the fact that
reunited may lure fans to this album, but it won't be long before the discontentment begins set in. [
Legacy Recordings
reissued the album in 2006 with the bonus track
"I Can See It in Your Eyes."
] ~ Mike DeGagne