4 out of 5 Stars!

To me, singer David Reece (Accept/Bangalore Choir/PowerWorld/Etc.) has a fierce, gruff, and emotionally charged voice just perfect for hard-driving rock ‘n’ roll, therefore, he ranks high on my list of favorite vocalists, and not only do albums on which he appears make it to my “auto-buy” list, but I typically find them better than average.

Therefore, when he released an album with his own group back in 2009, I instantly purchased a copy. And with the band also including guitarist Andy Susemihl and drummer Stefan Schwarzmann (both from U.D.O.) and bassist Jochen Fünders (Holy Moses), Universal Language is what one might expect from such a talented group of musicians (three of them related in some fashion to Accept or its offshoot groups).

Although the overall style of music is not quite as heavy as Accept, more melodic along the lines of Bangalore Choir, for example, the album does contain enough power chords, heavy riffs, and solid rhythms to keep me satisfied. And with Reece’s recognizable vocals dominating catchy and diverse fare such as “Flying Close to the Flame,” “Before I Die,” “Flesh and Blood,” “Rescue Me,” “Yellow,” and “Fantasy Man,” it only solidifies his reputation as a versatile powerhouse.

Fans of this grievously underrated vocalist will undoubtedly enjoy Universal Language as much as I do. Unfortunately, Reece (the band) released only one more album before disappearing, with Reece (the man) moving onto other projects, now admirably fronting both Bonfire and Tango Down. I wonder if the man ever sleeps…

Get The Album Now!