▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Dare ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Sacred Ground █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2016 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2017-01-03 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Hard Rock ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Legend Records ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ The Celtic AOR legend that is Dare rides again! █ █ Darren WhartonÆs majestic band return with studio █ █ album number 7, Sacred Ground, their first set of █ █ new material in 7 long years. █ █ ThereÆs always a lot riding on a Dare release, as █ █ they arenÆt the fastest band around when it comes █ █ to delivering new albums. And speaking frankly, █ █ the two albums preceding this û Arc Of The Dawn █ █ and Beneath The Shining Water û while offering a █ █ taste of what we all love about this band, still █ █ managed to come up a little short when thinking █ █ back to the bandÆs unsurpassable classic debut Out █ █ Of The Silence. That album remains an iconic █ █ release and one of the best AOR albums of all █ █ time. █ █ So what does Dare 2016 mean for fans? Well, the █ █ return of the masterful Vinny Burns on guitar is █ █ certainly a stroke of brilliance. And he makes his █ █ presence immediately known, with Sacred Ground █ █ awash with precision soloing and a stronger guitar █ █ footprint than the last few albums. █ █ While the tempo remains circumspect, VinnyÆs █ █ guitar takes the songs to the next level, █ █ delivering the rock edge that fans have wanted. █ █ Yes, tempo is far more æupÆ than recent work and █ █ like past Dare albums, it does take several █ █ listens to get to know the tunes. The similar █ █ pacing makes it a little harder to separate the █ █ songs initially, but as always with Dare, it is █ █ all about mood. And no one does mood better than █ █ Darren Wharton and Vinny Burns. █ █ And I have to say, I have a huge appreciation for █ █ DarrenÆs vocals. He IS British AOR for me. █ █ In essence, this is a wonderful album that takes a █ █ step back from the Celtic influences of recent █ █ times and a huge step back towards straight ahead █ █ moody AOR, with songs that could quite comfortably █ █ fit on Calm Before The Storm and even a few that █ █ wouldnÆt be out of place on Out Of The Silence. █ █ There are no fillers here û 11 great tracks of █ █ keyboard and guitar framed music û but there are a █ █ few tracks IÆd especially like to single out. █ █ The opening number Home is everything I love about █ █ Dare. Strength is a nice mid-tempo AOR track with █ █ some sublime playing from Vinny Burns and another █ █ killer vocal from Darren. █ █ Days Of Summer is the most rocking thing I have █ █ heard from Dare since the band returned in 1998. █ █ The almost æhappyÆ On My Own features a good pace █ █ and another shining guitar solo. █ █ All Our Brass Was Gold is a really nice mid-tempo █ █ ballad with orchestration lurking in the █ █ background. █ █ Like The First Time is another schooling on how to █ █ do mood and melody together and the closer Along █ █ The Heather is classic Celtic Dare, but in a more █ █ uptempo wrapper. █ █ WhatÆs not to like? This is a great comeback for █ █ the band and a most refreshing welcome home for █ █ Vinny Burns, who adds immeasurable class and power █ █ to these songs. █ █ And major props to Darren Wharton for the flawless █ █ production and crystal clear mix on Sacred Ground. █ █ There are many many layers to this album and such █ █ a great production is what makes it fun to █ █ discover each one. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Home 4:44 ░ ░ 2. I'll Hear You Pray 4:20 ░ ░ 3. Strength 4:16 ░ ░ 4. Every Time We Say Goodbye 4:01 ░ ░ 5. Days of Summer 3:44 ░ ░ 6. On My Own 3:15 ░ ░ 7. Until 3:58 ░ ░ 8. All Our Brass Was Gold 3:48 ░ ░ 9. You Carried Me 4:11 ░ ░ 10. Like the First Time 4:18 ░ ░ 11. Along the Heather 4:01 ░ ░ 44:36 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░