Alkana - 1978 - Welcome To My Paradise

Alkana

1978

Welcome To My Paradise

01. California Rock'n'Roll Queen
02. Montezumas Revenge
03. On Our Own
04. Freedom Lady
05. Paradise
06. The Tower
07. Head Games

Another totally obscure band, Alakana, were a vehicle for the guitar talents of Danny Alkana. From the Acid Archives website: "This sought-after hard rock rarity was released in 1978, but sounds like an early 80's record. It has the kind of high vocals and streamlined lead guitar that would soon take over the mainstream hard rock world. The majority of this album is pretty standard macho flashy guitar stuff, better than most of its kind but nothing special unless you're a genre fan. What makes the album special is the 11-minute “The Tower,” an epic that incorporates everything that’s good about the genre: melodic guitar leads, a stunning chorus, a smooth shift from mellow to heavy after a few minutes of the song. It's a classic, and the rest of the album gains appeal by association with it. Pretty album cover, too. Danny Alkana was formerly with Cock Robin, a local band that at times featured Misunderstood legend Glenn Ross Campbell. He later had some success on the classical-inspired metal guitar circuit".

I have to disagree with some of that assessment, as I feel a ot of the material here is not only good, but even fantastic. I do agree that the guitar work is decidedly 80's sounding, which makes this all the more interesting since it preceded the era by two years. "On Our Own" and "Freedom Lady" are two highlights that showcase Alkana's interesting melodies as well as inspired fretwork. I can only highly recommend you snap this one up ASAP and grow to appreciate the level of talent this fine album showcases from start to finish...