Musical Style: Melodic Metal/Hard Rock	Produced By: Ken Tamplin
Record Label: Frontline / Girder Music	Country Of Origin: USA
Year Released: 1988 / 1989	Artist Website:
Tracks: 13 / 11	Rating: 80% / 85%
Running Time: 55:40 / 41:35

If one wants a high quality eighties melodic hard rock band with needed elements in the form of catchy songs, soaring vocals and shredding guitar leads - not to mention the spandex and aqua net to go hand in hand - then you can hardly go wrong with Shout.  The group traces to the mid-eighties when vocalist and guitarist Ken Tamplin, previously part of melodic metal act Joshua, and guitarist Chuck King, member of AOR/melodic rock group Idle Cure, met via an ad in a Los Angeles area classified paper, The Recycler.  With bassist Loren Robinson (also Joshua) rounding out its initial lineup, the band arrived at the name Shout, in Tamplin’s words, from how, "We're supposed to shout and make a joyful noise unto the Lord. We're definitely shouting it out and saying what the Lord wants us to say."

Shout proceeded to shop a four-song demo it recorded in 1987 to several mainstream labels prior to signing with Frontline Records.  It Won’t Be Long, its 1988 Frontline debut to include the four demo tracks and five new cuts, also comprises as part of its lineup session musician’s drummer Dennis Holt (AD), keyboardist Mark Hugonberger and guest guitarist Lanny Cordola (Guiffria).  Musically, the album stays true to Tamplin’s and King’s previous groups, with a sound rooted in commercial metal hooks but with strong leanings towards the polished hard rock and AOR prevalent at the time. 

Follow up effort from 1989 In Your Face found Shout rounding out its roster with drummer Joseph Galletta (Joshua as well) in delivering the overall bigger and heavier sound while maintaining the melodic hook driven penchant.  It also upholds the Shout proclivity for guest appearances, noting how guitarists Lanny Cordola (now House Of Lords), Michael Angelo (Nitro), Marty Friedman (Megadeth), Randy Hansen, Joey Price and Alex Masi lend their abilities to the albums ‘who’s who in eighties metal guitar shred’ title track.

With It Won’t Be Long and In Your Face long out of print and hard to find collectors items, Girder Music stepped to the plate in early 2019 and re-mastered (courtesy of Rob Colwell of Bombworks Sound) and re-issued both with upgraded packaging.  Rather than simple fold out inserts attributing to the original releases, the Girder re-issues issues come with high quality multi-page booklets to feature band bios, detailed background information and vintage photos along with lyrics and liner notes in an easy to read font.  Of note is how It Won’t Be Long also includes the four demo cuts recorded in 1987. 

So how does sound quality improve with re-mastering?  I always felt that It Won’t Be Long embodied the most polished production of the two but would also improve with a low end boost, which re-mastering provides in the form of a punchier drum sound and marked bass tinctures.  Production to In Your Face I find somewhat flat in comparison.  Re-mastering, however, rectifies this in allowing for much needed doses of refinement to the extent it is as if listening to a completely different album!  Close listen, for instance, reveals details such as added bass lines and accenting keyboards not present on the original Frontline version.

Rather than put together one of my standard track-by-track breakdowns to each album, I thought it would work best - not just for the reader but also the longsuffering reviewer! - to instead write a single review that would devote several paragraphs to each.

It Won’t Be Long

Whereas I have always taken to It Won’t Be Long, I also do not find it quite consistent as its musically better-rounded successor, noting the presence of some filler.  Cannot say the album does not get off to a good start in light of show-stopping opening tracks “Never Stop” and “Winners Or Losers”.  Former proves a classy arena rocker underscored by Tamplin’s warmly tinctured vocal style and the bands predisposition for catchy hooks.  Latter ups heaviness with its gritty guitar penchant, sustaining the up-tempo leanings but within more of a driving anthem hard rock framework.  Also of quality is ballad “Find A Way”, a stylish five minutes of piano, rhythm guitar to taste and needed melody to allow for repeat radio play.  In an era of strong ballads, it more than holds its own. 

Even better is “Showdown”, with its acapella vocal opening ensued by driving rhythms and over the top refrain to also fall within arena to anthem rock confines.  Instrumentally, things begin to a bass solo that gives way to vocal melodies and riveting lead guitar.  Likewise, “It Won’t Be Long” rates with the albums best in starting to a Spanish guitar solo prior to turning into a burnished hard rocker as energetic ‘Go! Go!’ backing vocals and the ever-present Shout commercial sentiments lead the way.  My favorite is group’s signature track, as “Shout” proves another high-energy number as pounding drums and unyielding rhythm guitar coalesce over another catchy hook foundation.  Stealing the show is Lanny Cordola’s shredding guitar solo.

I have always struggled with albums remaining material.  It begins with “Dancin’ Round The World”, which completely loses me with its quirky rhythms and cheesy ‘there’s grooving, dancing to the beat tonight’ refrain.  I find “Timeless Love”, a mid-paced melodic hard rocker, and “Without You”, mirthful in trending similar musical territory, to not reach beyond the level of merely good.  If Shout had come up with four more cuts as good as those referenced in the first two paragraphs, it would have a melodic hard rock classic on its hands to rank alongside Guardian, Fear Not and Novella. 

Demo tracks include re-mastered versions to “Shout”, “Timeless Love”, “Find A Way” and “Without You”.  By no means are they next to unlistenable, muddy demos recordings but rather come across surprisingly clean when factoring the mid-eighties period in which they were recorded (they sound recorded live in the studio).  In terms of specifics, “Shout” stays true to its album rendering but with the rawer, heavier rocking feel, while the same applies for “Timeless Love” in elevating momentum to up-tempo territory.  “Find A Way” maintains the elegant ballad form but with added keyboards and “Without You” a spirited bearing in lending layers of underpinning groove.

Final verdict: A strong start from a young band brimming with potential equates to 80%

In Your Face

In Your Face highlights the typical growth songwriting wise bands make between their first and second albums.  Point being that It Won’t Be Long might be very good but In Your Face is that much better (in my opinion either way).  Catchy hooks abound, as found on opening cut “Borderline” in combining a firm guitar presence with an engaging layered vocal harmony driven refrain and follow up number “When The Love Is Gone” from matching the heaviness while upping the forthright melody to even higher levels.

In a more commercial vein is “Give Me An Answer”, slickly done with killer guitar work to start and pristine refrain to repeat songs title in sleek fashion, and “Faith, Hope And Love”, set apart with its draw-you-in-at-once radio friendly melody but not backing from the elevated guitar focus to set In Your Face apart from It Won’t Be Long.  Another ballad appears in “Waiting On You”, lightening impetus as even guitars and airy keyboards stand alongside Tamplin’s gripping vocal performance.  Rhythm guitars to attach over the second half make it heavier in comparison to “Find A Way”. 

Upping aggression is “Getting’ Ready”, upholding a driving mentality to find quite the catchy chorus dig and bite, and albums title track, perhaps Tamplin’s finest ever composition with its metal guitar sheen in playing up a montage of eighties guitar shredders: Lanny Cordola, Michael Angelo, Marty Friedman, Randy Hansen and others!  Manifesting the bluesy but also of a forthright nature is “It’s All I Need”, catchy as anything here but with more of a straight on hard rocking edge pointing towards the gusty mid-paced. 

Filler bug again rears its head in the form of a pair of tracks to never have done anything for me: ordinary rocker “Getting On With Life” to feature Hammond B3 and “Ain’t Givin’ Up” on the medium to good side with its elevated keyboard use.  Replace both with two others of the same quality to remainder of albums material and Shout would have an album of the year candidate on its hands.

Final verdict: Shout delivers by far its finest album with a well-deserved 85% grade.

Summary

I like to think It Won’t Be Long and In Your Face give prominence to some of Ken Tamplin’s finest songwriting, keeping in mind that neither album (in my opinion) reaches the artistic heights of the Magdallan project, Big Bang, he recorded with Lanny Cordola in 1992 nor his self-titled solo album from 1993.  Separating both, noting the group’s 1999 comeback album Shout Back (also a Girder re-issue), are the presence of a couple potential filler tracks either way.  Still, if you missed out on Shout back in the day or are interested in upgraded versions to It Won’t Be Long and In Your Face, referencing the improvements from re-mastering, then by all means make the Girder re-issues a priority purchase.

Review by Andrew Rockwell

Track Listing (It Won’t Be Long): "Never Stop" (3:58), "Winners Or Losers" (3:42), "It Won’t Be Long" (4:21), "Find A Way" (4:49), "Dancin’ Round The World" (3:13), "Shout" (4:19), "Showdown" (4:02), "Timeless Love" (4:36), "Without You" (3:42)

Track Listing (demo cuts): “Shout” (4:18), “Timeless Love” (4:13), “Find A Way” (4:33), “Without You” (3:42)

Musicians
Ken Tamplin - Lead Vocals & Guitars
Chuck King - Guitars
Loren Robinson - Bass
Dennis Holt - Drums
Mark Hugonberger - Keyboards

Guest Musicians
Lanny Cordola - Guitars

Track Listing (In Your Face): “Borderline” (4:37), “When The Love Is Gone” (4:16), “Give Me An Answer” (3:50), “Faith, Hope And Love” (3:36), “Gettin’ Ready” (3:47), “In Your Face” (5:17), “Getting On With Life” (3:55), “Waiting On You” (3:49), “Moonlight Sonata (In 32nd Notes)” (:29), “It’s All I Need” (3:27), “Ain’t Givin’ Up (The Pay The Bills Song)” (3:50)

Musicians
Ken Tamplin - Lead Vocals & Guitars
Chuck King - Guitars
Loren Robinson - Bass
Joseph Galletta - Drums
Mark Hugonberger - Keyboards

Guest Musicians
Lanny Cordola, Michael Angelo, Mary Friedman, Randy Hansen & Joey Price Alex Masi - Guitars