I’ve been had! Steve our illustrious leader sent out a list of new CDs that required reviewing and one of my picks was this, the Xcarnation album, due to the involvement of Kip Winger and Rod Morgenstein. As the album is released via Frontiers, I was expecting an AOR/Melodic Rock type of record, WRONG! again). This album can best to described as industrial neo prog, but don’t all go running away with this description, this album sounds like Nine Inch Nails jamming with kip Winger circa This Conversation Seems Like A Dream. 

A strange combo to say the least but somehow it works, nowhere more so than with the opener  Personal Antichrist resplendent with its Nine Inch Nails style drum beats and heavy driving riffs and Cenk Eroglu doing his best Kip Winger impression. Next up is Everlasting which has a vocal that is reminiscent of  Daniel from This Conversation Seems Like A Dream, but with a drum sound that is  heavier and then, after about 30 seconds,  the big guitars kick in and drive the track along nicely.

'Without You' is the first of the more traditional style tracks featured on the album and is a piano lead ballad which like so many AOR tracks can trace its origins back to Journey in its influences, a bit of change to say the least for this album! Next up, 'Desperately Sad' has an opening that would not be out of place on the last Winger album 'Pull', but then the programmed drums kick in and the whole character of the track changes with its almost whispered vocal and ethnic instruments.

'Reason To Believe' features a whaler (a Muslim call to prayer) and once again could have been lifted from the oft mentioned 'This Conversation Seems Like A Dream' and then we return to the heavily programmed Nine Inch Nails stylings of 'Lucky Day'  which features a chorus section that could have been lifted from any James Bond movie theme track. 'Take A Deep Breath' opens with an old style heavy riff  before once again the programmed drums take over. 

Kicking off with a spoken intro, 'Coma White' carries on the NIN influences  with the addition of female backing vocals and some ethnic instrumentation,  strange but it works. Just why 'Willing To Wait' reminds me of an old Duran Duran song during its intro I am not certain, but it does and ends of being another heavily electronic a mid tempo track. Rounding out Grounded is 'Pictures'  with its atmospheric sound and whispered vocals. 

The big selling point of this album is Kip  Wingers involvement but in all truthfulness this is most definitely the brainchild of Cenk Eroglu, who is the main driving force behind this album and I for one am very impressed. As I stated at the start of the review, Grounded is certainly not what I was expecting but a very pleasant surprise none the less and is a bit different to what I would normally listen to. However this is a good album that could easily cross over into the heavier end of the rock spectrum.

Let us know your views on 'Grounded'

Track List

Personal Antichrist
Everlasting
Without You
Desperately Sad
Reason To Believe
Lucky Day
Take A Deep Breath
Coma White
Willing To Wait
Pictures

Line Up

Cenk Eroglu - Vocals/Guitar/Bass/Keyboards
Kip Winger - Vocals/Bass/Guitar
Rod Morgenstein/Pat Mastellotto - Drums
Kivanc Kaytanli - Guitar