WAR DANCE

Final Colosseum II album is a bit of mixed bag for me. I like some separate moments of it, especially some jazzy perfect musicianship in a moments. But to be a really strong album, there are too many weak points.

First of all, this album's roots are coming openly from hard rock. Even if musicianship are at much more complex level, I feel their music more as proto metal fusion, than jazz fusion. And it isn't strange - all band's musicians are rock players, are known in past or future.

Main music is coming from interplay between Gary Moore guitar and Don Airey keys, both musicians are much more associated with hard rock world ( Thin Lizzy and long solo pop- rock and blues-rock career for Moore and Rainbow, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath,etc. for Airey). Many symphonic prog elements are used in album's music as well.

Another problem is all songs are quite faceless, even if musicianship is great. The only song with vocal "Castles" is below critics.

Overall, I think this album is important looking historically as one of early proto metal fusion examples. Not too much enjoying listening for jazz fusion fans, it could be more attractive to instrumental hard rock lovers.