Album Review: Ten - Here Be Monsters

Gary Hughes keeps pumping out albums of melodic rock, but I feel like the returns have been diminishing with each one. Or perhaps they were never that high, and I was tricked years ago by the albums he made for Bob Catley, which feel like the exist in another reality. I love much of those albums, but as for Ten, they seldom do much to get my blood pumping. In fact, their last few albums about monsters and the Illuminati have not only been mediocre, but often annoying with their lyrical themes.

"Here Be Monsters" is thankfully not a record obviously about a collection of fictional beasts. It does, however, have enough religious overtones running through the track listing that it might be better off if it was. Poor writing is bad enough, but poor writing that tries to preach is even worse. One of the many things I grow less patient with as I get older is evangelical promotion. If you love God, that's great, but why do you think I need to hear all about it? Rather than you expressing your love, it sounds like insecurity.

Ten has always relied on smooth tones and the heart of old soft-rock to win us over. Even when you can tell they're trying to play a heavy riff, their music is bred from the DNA of softness,and Gary's voice is like marshmallows taped to a fist. Everything is cushioned in velvet, which might look cheesy in certain situations, but can be soothing in others.

Compared to some of the less interesting Ten albums of recent years, this one sounds like a definite improvement. The melodies are heaped with backing vocals that turn them into lovely washes of voices. Every chorus goes down smooth, but perhaps a bit too smooth. The album lacks a little bit of bite to make it sound like the band is passionate about what they're doing. Gary's delivery is calm and laid-back, and it's hard to hear whether he believe in these songs or not. His personality doesn't shine through, which is something that can be said about the album as a whole. It's very clean and polished, but also somewhat anonymous.

This is the sort of album that is enjoyable, but won't make much of an impact. It's happy to get a participation trophy, but there doesn't sound like much grabbing for the brass ring. I heard enough to be entertained, but not enough to make me want to make these songs a part of myself.