Dave Burn - Nothing Is As It Seems
Album review by; Nick
Release Date – 1st June 2021
When you have based most of your career doing instrumental rock or as a side man in other bands, I found this a great move for Dave Burn on his new album is first to feature singing and lead vocals. Most notably being associated with the late great Paul Raymond and the Paul Raymond Project, Dave is a fantastic guitarist and musician in his own right, and I could not wait to give this album a listen and a review.
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I wasn’t disappointed; this album has something for everyone, a true epic which will stand alongside the great albums already out and yet to be released this year. Here I will give you a track-by-track review of Nothing As It Seems.
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The album gets off to a crunchy start with album opener Right of Passage. Straight from the off I love the melodic rock voice given to us which reminds me a lot of Glenn Hughes in places and the guitar riffage is second to none. It’s a bold move starting with a moody song, but it pays off as the atmosphere sets the tone for the rest of the album. It’s nice but moody at the same time with colourful guitar licks that give you a very Middle Eastern feel. The Icing on the cake is the dramatic guitar solo that tears through the middle section of a song. Dave lets you know he means business and it’s only the beginning of the journey.
Darkest Hour continues the albums mood with melancholic and sombre guitar soloing. Thought provoking lyrics follow that leave you on the edge of your seat. The title itself speaks volumes and gives the listener that dark setting before the song really kicks into life booming along with tasteful aggression. The vocal harmonies for me really make this song with wonderful textures and melody.
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A change in gear on the next song, Into the Light is another song that lives up to its name. There is a lot of light and shade on this track and the first true song that allows the listener to sing along with its powerful uplifting lyrics that are truly written from the heart and allow the listener to reflect and even become part of the story themselves. The guitar cries out with pure emotion, full of melody and atmosphere. I feel Into the Light also has the best song ending on the album; it’s memorable and will likely make the listener want to listen repeatedly.
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We go from light and shade to menacing with the next song Labyrinth. Labyrinths are meant to be dark murky underground mazes and this song shows just that. Menacing piano chords harmonising with the lead guitar licks, the intro builds and builds with intensity. The song has a doomy feel to it and reminds me a lot of Love to Love by UFO. You can hear a lot of influence from that song in this one. A charming but dark ballad which is full of atmosphere, a glorious song throughout.
Back to the uplifting light mood on the next song which truly gives me an 80s Thin Lizzy vibe to it. Hit The Ground Running is the next song, it’s an instrumental but it’s just one of those songs that is best left the way it is. If the album needed a song you could play in the car and go from 0-60 in seconds? Then this is the track for you, a true driving song and the guitar solos shred throughout. This one will knock you for six and will keep you coming back for more.
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The next song is the tearjerker of the album; the name says it all really Before You Cry. It begins with a spine-tingling introduction which will leave the hairs on your arms stand to attention. I can hear a lot of Michael Schenker influence in his guitar playing on this song, also homage to UFO’s other famous guitarist the late great Paul “Tonka” Chapman. The UFO influence is there on this song, and I can hear influences taken from guitar driven ballads such as Try Me and Profession of Violence to name a couple. A dazzling song with glorious guitar throughout.
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The next song Made of Stone dives into Classic Metal territory. I can hear a lot of Yngwie Malmsteem and Ronnie James Dio era Rainbow in this song with progressive playing and undertones. A very mysterious song which takes you to another place, has a very medieval feel to it, it’s one of those songs heard best with your eyes closed and sat back in your chair with the headphones on.
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Keeping with the slower songs, the next one is a slower soulful ballad called Passing Time. I love the memorable bass lines and soaring vocals. Another song I feel with a Glenn Hughes influence on it, and it shows with more dark and doomy elements. Dave Burn once again shows his song writing perfection and versatility in this song.
Kick You Upside Down does exactly that, a funky number which if you blink you will miss it as it’s short, sweet and does exactly what it says on the tin. It kicks you upside down and then stamps all over you and leaves a mark with the ending of the songs. Short, simple, sweet but it does the job just right.
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The next song Always sends the listener into Southern Rock territory, being a fan of the genre, I really enjoyed this one. Lots of groove with fine pop hooks a catchy sing-along lyric that is easy to learn for somebody new to the song. Another light-hearted song which does have shady elements to it also which compliments the happier side pleasantly. The guitar picking on this track gives off a southern vibe which fits the style of the song and if that’s not enough to satisfy you. Wait until the bridge kicks in, it’s dramatic and bombast will excite you.
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The next song for me is another candidate for favourite song on the album. Understand is the epic of the album which takes me back to 1976 era Led Zeppelin and Achilles Last Stand territory (my all-time favourite Zeppelin song.) The song kicks off with a nice galloping riff which compliments the bass line beautifully. There are plenty of Thin Lizzyesque harmonic leads and the guitar openly steals the show, it is all over the place in a good way and paints the entire picture of the song to the listener. An amazing musical journey which gets straight to the point. The song builds and builds with intensity and reminds me a lot of Uli Jon Roth era Scorpions in places with guitar dive bombs and cries. A true epic with an amazing song ending and the song that sealed the deal for me. My favourite song on this record without a doubt.
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You may think the album is as good as done after that amazing song but as blown away as you may be, Dave comes back and gives us one more for the encore. Boat to Samarkand is a beautiful bluesy ballad with soothing guitar hooks and keyboards. It’s a nice comedown after the bombast of the previous song and a perfect way to end the album.
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This album is my introduction to Dave Burn and I have truly been taking on an amazing journey courtesy of him. A must listen if you are a fan of 70s and 80s Hard Rock/Heavy Metal bands such as UFO, Thin Lizzy, Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Budgie etc it has all these influences and more. I really hope Dave continues this style on with another album I have sure enjoyed it and can’t wait to hear more.
Album Rating 5/5