Tom Keifer – Rise
Release Date: September 13, 2019
Vocal paralysis. Bleeding vocal cords. Seven voice surgeries. He was told, “You’ll never sing again.” He collapses right before a show and is rushed to the hospital. His band of nearly 30 years, Cinderella, breaks up and on top of that, he had to fight his record label for the masters of his debut solo album. This kind of shit would send anyone retreating into a world of self-pity and doubt but not Tom Keifer. Keifer returned in 2019 with his strongest release to date with, Rise and I was not disappointed.
Tom Keifer, for many years, was known as the singer/songwriter/guitar/all-around bad-ass frontman for the legendary 80s hard rock band, Cinderella. Stepping away from a band like that to do your own things is a bold move, and you have to have the confidence and strong material to make it click with your fans.
The opening track, “Touching the Divine” is an outstanding way to kick this album off. There is a level of intensity here that you can tell that Tom has a lot to say and is exorcising his demons the only way he knows how: through his music.
“The Death of Me” sounds like it could be the little brother of “Night Songs” but it’s so dark that it makes “Night Songs” sound like a power ballad. This song is, without a doubt, one of the highlights of Rise. Another notable track is “Waiting on the Demons.” While this song has more of a Heartbreak Station vibe, it is a much darker track that anything that would be on that album both lyrically and musically.
I could go on and on about Rise, but in a nutshell, this has to be one of my favorite comeback albums ever. Tom Keifer beat the odds and continues to fight them with more strength and bravery than anyone I’ve ever seen.
Rise is a collection of songs that documents his fight and his struggles. Rise also brings us into the dark place where Tom was for so long and released us to the light along with this collection of amazing songs. Tom Keifer is a fighter, a survivor, and an amazing singer/songwriter. The world is a better place with Tom and may he continue to rise from the ashes to create a new fire.
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