CD REVIEW: ISLA DE MUERTA by Ten

ISLA DE MUERTA by Ten
(Rocktopia Records)

Considered to be one of the premier melodic rock bands to come out of the UK, Ten return with the highly anticipated, 'Isla De Muerta', the band's 12th studio recording.  Named after the mythical ‘Island Of The Dead‘ from Pirates legend. The new album has that classic melodic rock vibe reminiscent of Magnum and Rainbow. Gary Hughes' songwriting is prolific and impressive as ever. The band sounds tight and simply amazing. Together creating a recording of epic proportions. There's a splendid combination of epic rockers and intoxicating ballads on this one. Stand outs include, "Dead Men Tell No Tales,”, “Tell Me What To Do”, “The Dragon And Saint George.”, "Acquiesce" "Intensify" and "The Last Pretender", are destined to become instant Ten classics. What would a Ten recording be without ballads? Gary Hughes tackles the meaning of love and passion that through some kind of miracle puts that most powerful of emotions into words. As he exhibits on, "This Love", and "We Can Be As One " these songs will melt your heart.  After listening to 'Isla De Muerta', I found myself interactively engaged with the music, craving a deeper understanding of the lyrics, wanting to decipher the musical passages, and trying to imagine myself as a character in the dramatic scenes that were playing out. The bottom line is no matter what Ten set out to do whether they go for all out rockers or heart touching ballads, the end result is the same, they're all winners! 'Isla De Muerta' will take your imagination on an adventure to the days of Black Beard and The Jolly Roger. Like the near-perfect details in these songs, the names of this recording and the band were not chosen by accident. There is a right way and a wrong way in creating a rock album, and Ten consistently does it right.  You can't hear it all at once. You will find something new within the album every time you listen to it. Simply powerful and amazing! - Highly Recommended
Tony @ The Dedicated Rocker Society/ All Access Magazine