antiReviews: Angry Tears � S/T Featuring Jack Ponti CD Review by Scott Vile

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Label:  Escape Music
Release Date:  2000

Track Listing:

 
1. Go Easy On Me
2. Keep Tonite
3. Telephone Line
4. Damiana
5. Angry Tears
6. Love Fades
7. Dianna
8. Eyes
9. Not Supposed To Fall In Love
10. Other Side Of The Night

I almost dismissed this CD the first time I heard it. Judging by the name and the cover, I was expecting an aggressive rock or maybe even a metal album. Instead I heard songs that sounded like they came from the mid 80's. It at first seemed like a joke. Angry Tears actually is a melodic, AOR band, who to be honest, are quickly becoming a guilty pleasure for me. The music is by no means �hip,' but some songs on this disc are catchy and highly memorable.

 Angry Tears is a collaboration of longtime cohorts Joey Sinopoli and guitarist Jack Ponti. Jack Ponti is best known as a producer/songwriter of legends Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper, Nelson, and Baton Rouge. He is also a very interesting guitarist who incorporates a refreshing bluesy feeling in his playing. 

This CD all follows the same basic style and sounds like it could have been released years ago, but it does have a slightly modern feel to it, like the guitars have been tuned down a bit. 

Angry Tears didn't knock my socks off, but it's alright, and some tracks like "Go Easy On Me" and "Love Fades" are getting a higher rotation in my CD player. "Love Fades" is a fantastic song. It is mellow with simplistic lyrics (The chorus is simply, "Hey baby, love fades baby"), but the song has a certain bittersweet sorrow that captures what it sets out to do perfectly. It's just a very pretty, off-tempo rock song about love drifting away that a lot of people can connect to. Interestingly, I read that this is the first song Ponti and Sinopoli ever wrote together.

 If you are an AOR fan, this is worth checking out. If you are afraid of 80s style melodic rock, steer clear. Although this CD may convert a few of you. I don't like every song on the CD and it's hard to listen to all of it at once, but a relaxing melodic album is a nice change of pace once in a while, and Angry Tears is decent at what they do.

 The Band:

Jack Ponti � Lead Guitar, Keyboards
Joey Sinopoli � Lead Vocals, Guitar
Nicky Sinopoli � Bass, Backing Vocals
Andres Karu � Drums

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