Despite how many bands/projects Chris Black is involved in, I appreciate that all of them have a unique identity. Whether leaning into the grittier side of heavy metal with Superchrist, epic NWOBHM with Dawnbringer, or the melodic slant and more accessible songwriting of High Spirits, each one gives listeners a different side of the heavy metal and hard rock spectrum while still offering the same appeal. High Spirits has arguably been one of Black’s most active bands over the past few years, utilizing an expanded live lineup that has been touring regularly while the albums remain a solo endeavor. 2020’s Hard to Stop shook up the formula a bit with some melodic punk leanings and additional variety but felt a bit uneven as a result with some incredible highs and skippable lows. Three years later, Black and High Spirits return with Safe on the Other Side, which keeps that same level of variety but has stronger individual tracks.
The previous four High Spirit albums have kept things brief at nine tracks and around a half hour run-time, but with Safe on the Other Side Black has expanded things out to one additional song in the form of a cover of Europe’s “Memories”. The run time still comes in at a compact forty minutes, and it helps that this may be the best set of songs from beginning to end that this group has offered since their debut in 2011. That’s not to say that any of their prior full lengths have been bad, but there have been some incredible highs mixed in with some lows that either run together or feel a bit out of place. That’s not the case with Safe on the Other Side though, as the hooks are consistent from “In the Moonlight” to “Good Night” and the pacing is great. You once again get a mix of high energy 70s and 80s leaning hard rock, some slightly heavier NWOBHM leaning moments, and ballads that don’t overstay their welcome. The production values from Hard to Stop have been retained, which continues to benefit High Spirits as the bass grooves really pop while the melodic guitar leads have plenty of space to soar. While the material is likeable from start to finish, some personal favorites of mine are “Til the End of Time” with its soaring melody and rock cadence along with “Anything You Need” where a bit more of that NWOBHM weight and grittiness come into play. Even the cover of “Memories” stands out thanks to this full production, giving a slightly modern take on the song that retains its original energy.
You can usually pick out a band that Chris Black sings for, though like the instrumentals his pitch and style has varied depending on which one you’re listening to. I think High Spirits remains my favorite to date, as it really shows off the melodic qualities of his voice while still offering plenty of power. This also contributes to the anthemic nature of a lot of these songs, as the choruses of tracks like “Into the Moonlight” and “One Day Closer” will be stuck in your head almost immediately. Black’s voice has only seemed to get stronger with each High Spirits release and this remains true here, as his singing hits some incredible peaks but still has some grit to it when needed. It’s not necessarily in the falsetto range of early heavy/hair metal, instead opting for more of that high energy and airier hard rock range, but it fits the sound of Safe on the Other Side perfectly. Another element worth mentioning is the harmonies, which really make songs like “Please Don’t Leave Me Behind” sound huge.
Hard to Stop may have had some ups and downs, but Safe on the Other Side is consistently strong all the way through. There’s a similar balance of up-tempo and slower numbers, with plenty of vocal and instrumental hooks on almost every song that will keep listeners coming back. Five albums in, it feels like Chris Black has refined High Spirit’s hook driven hard rock and heavy metal to its most potent level yet, and I’m already feeling like this is my favorite since the debut. Safe on the Other Side is available from High Roller Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg