Tesla - Into The Now (CD)

All Music Guide

Classic hard rockers Tesla were one of those bands that reluctantly hitched a ride on the hair metal bandwagon of the late '80s, only to get bumrapped on the early'90s flip side when their career was undeservedly sunk alongside those flaming chunks of hairspray and mascara. Unable or perhaps unwilling to cope with culturally enforced grunge exile thereafter, the members of Tesla chose extinction instead, quietly going their separate ways after touring in support of their fourth studio album, 1994's understated Bust a Nut. The fact that they also resisted the temptation to join in the minor spat of popmetal nostalgia heard in the late'90s also speaks volumes about their true nature, and makes their eventual return with 2004's Into the Now all the more worth investigating. And sure enough, for the most part, Into the Now is a prototypical Tesla album: heavy, melodic, focused, and when in doubt understated. Indeed, like the songs that earned them millions in their heyday, new tracks lik...e "Look Me" and "Heaven Nine Eleven" are perfect studies in reinedin virtuosity, their grooves and hooks ever spotlighting the essential strengths of the almighty song. The odd bit of synthesized drumbeats is the only visible concession to fashion (note its disappointing and pointless inclusion in the acoustic foottapper "What a Shame"), but thankfully, gets dropped from the menu as quickly as it was added. Elsewhere, "Words Can't Explain" locks into a pleasant Southern rock feel, "Caught in a Dream" is a heartwarming acoustic ballad for the ladies, and "Miles Away" is the album's grand, Led ZeppelinbywayofDef Leppard miniepic, its ample contrasts of light/shade and backdrop string arrangements eliciting flashbacks of "Kashmir" almost as much as they do "Die Hard the Hunter." Vocalist Jeff Keith is reliable as ever throughout, his voice sounding all the better for the nicotine ravages of time, while guitarists Frank Hannon and Tommy Skeoch resurrect their sixstring harmonies in all their glory for the memorable "Mighty Mouse" and the decidedly psychedelic "Come to Me." In short, like virtually every Tesla album before it, Into the Now takes the back door to one's perception, unassumingly sneaking up on you with the realization "Hey This is really good" A classy comeback by a classy band, it's therefore practically guaranteed to please not wow aging fans with its timewarp sensibilities and authenticity of spirit. - Ed Rivadavia, All Music Guide Read more Less