Aerosmith Music From Another Dimension! 2012

Although I'm not overly fancy about Aerosmith, I do miss them. Their tetralogy Permanent Vacation  - Pump - Get A Grip and Nine Lives were what decorated my CD cabinet back in late eighties / '90s. In their forty years of music producing, I guess every rock / metal fans have a slice of experience with Aerosmith. I wasn't following much their 2000s years. From what I remember Aerosmith keep experimenting in each album. The last album Honkin' on Bobo was a blues concept. For this new album however, we presented a wide variety of styles. What a troubling years Aerosmith had to come before this album is a news widely spread. Steven Tyler health, his career in American Idol, was not taken well by the members, especially Joe Perry. But, when listen to Music From Another Dimension! looks safe to say that that much didn't disturbed this comeback album, after years of absent in original stuffs.

The album begin with LUV XXX, a well audio engineered hypnotize speec. Then a light rock n roll with a bite of female soul singing in Oh Yeah. Second song, Beautiful is much more back to Steven Tyler stuff, a combination of modern rock then accentuation with creative backing vocals.  Tell Me is a ballad similar as Cryin' or I Don't Want to Miss A Thing, which is easily can be top ten single if this were out in the '90 era. Looks like a souls backing vocals is favorite stuff in this album, because in Out Go The Lights is best described as Aerosmith with a Disney's soundtrack-like backing vocals. Guitar solos is shine in this track, melodious blues rock licks enable you to stay relax, especially the extended harmonica solos and 'Uh ah-uh' encore. The riff and song writing level is still keep high in next track, Legendary Child. Now it's the male backing vocals that in charge, and guitar effect accentuation is what made this song memorable. Come next is something Boyzone-ish ballad, What Could Have Been Love. Luckily then it has a power chorus best sings by Steven Tyler. Street Jesus is aggresive hard rock combined elements of Sweet Emotion, fast singing style and funky intro riff.

The second half of album started with country feel Can't Stop Lovin' You, a duet with Carrie Underwood. Making this song something like Shania Twain in hard rock setup. It's wonderful  how  Steven Tyler's voice can be put in a duet with almost every singer and get a great result. Lover Alot trying to break the ice and wake up listener with intermezzo drumming intro. Not stopping here, is We All Fall Down. Piano accompaniment and orchestration to mimic what done in Dream On. Last notable to mentioned is Something, a rather experimental stuff full of psychotic instrumentation. Another Last Goodbye, that co-write with Desmond Child, a vocal-singing-lecture song.

Good accomplishment in this album. Very versatile in styles. This may be because of vast contribution from many co-writers in each song. Aerosmith might be already done most of tricks we hear before, but still they are fresh in this album. Steven Tyler singing is never away too make every song uniquely Aerosmith. Not a bad album by the veteran of rock n roll.

Metalharem class: ********* nine stars out of ten

Aerosmith - Music From Another Dimension! (2012)
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1. LUV XXX 5:16
2. Oh Yeah 3:40
3. Beautiful 3:04
4. Tell Me 3:45
5. Out Go The Lights 6:55
6. Legendary Child 4:13
7. What Could Have Been Love 3:44
8. Street Jesus 6:43
9. Can't Stop Lovin' You (Duet with Carrie Underwood) 4:04
10. Lover Alot 3:35
11. We All Fall Down 5:14
12. Freedom Fighter 3:19
13. Closer 4:04
14. Something 4:37
15. Another Last Goodbye 5:47


Steven Tyler – lead vocals, harmonica on "Out Go the Lights", piano on "We All Fall Down", drums on "Something", mandolin on "Tell Me", production
Tom Hamilton – bass guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Up on a Mountain"
Joey Kramer – drums, backing vocals
Joe Perry – lead guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Something" and "Freedom Fighter", production
Brad Whitford – rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar on "Tell Me", backing vocals

Additional musicians

Russ Irwin – keyboards, backing vocals
Julian Lennon – background vocals on "LUV XXX"
Lauren Alaina – background vocals on "Oh Yeah"
Mia Tyler – backing vocals on "Beautiful"
Carrie Underwood – featured vocals on "Can't Stop Loving You"
Johnny Depp – background vocals on "Freedom Fighter"
Rick Dufay – rhythm guitar on "Shakey Ground"