Ken Tamplin
In the Witness Box
Reviewed by David Muttillo
Ken Tamplin has a very distinctive pair of vocal cords. If you've heard either of the old Shout projects, or any other album on which he has sung, you'll instantly recognize his trademark multi-octave wail amid the ever present vocal layers in this album as well. Here, Tamplin offers traditional hard rock - not much different in style than his seven or so other projects.
This record contains two covers: "Sing Hallelujah," a classic praise and worship tune, and the somewhat disappointing "Signed, Sealed, Delivered." Putting Christian words into secular songs shows lack of creativity. I know you're creative, Ken. Should've gone with a different song for that track. Don't worry, the rest of the CD more than makes up for any disappointment one may have. "Alma Rose" is a nice tribute to a certain Jewish violinist who was forced by the Nazis to play to soothe her own people prior to their execution. It's a well written, well performed song. The only problem here is that, upon hearing the chorus, I expect to see the opening credits of a sitcom. Musically, it doesn't give me mental images of Anne Frank. "Feed Me" and "Strange Fascination" explore sensationalism in the media, and both rock hard.
In the Witness Box shows that Ken Tamplin is not afraid to put out traditional hard rock in an age when so many are jumping on the alternative bandwagon.