Album Review: Tesla – “Forever More”

In these times of uncertainty, there is nothing more comforting than something being exactly the way you expect and hope it to be. This sentiment can best describe Tesla’s Forever More, their first studio album since 2004’s critically acclaimed “Into the Now”.       

I have been one of the few die-hard Tesla fans since their debut of “Mechanical Resonance” in 1986. It was probably the first rock album (actually cassette) that I had ever owned. It was replete with such timeless classics as “Little Suzi”, “Modern Day Cowboy”, and “Getting Better” and transformed me into a lifelong rock and Tesla fan. 

I have to admit that I lost track of the band after “Bust A Nut”, and did not even realize the band was still together until a friend serendipitously loaned me his copy of “Into the Now” in 2004. At first listen, I was aghast at what I heard as the title track was laden with “scratching” ala Run DMC or some other evil hip-hop incarnation. However, I soldiered on and was able to listen to the entire album and was both delighted and pleased at how good the album actually was.

The sound remembered from my youth remained intact, but evolved. Heavy, melodic, focused and with exception of the unnecessary title track best described as melodic. Filled with hard hitting, exceptionally well written with understandable meaningful lyrics and building choruses meant to sign along with. Southern rock, limited production filled with rocking’ tunes and a few ballads worth listening to. In short a formulaic Tesla album that did not disappoint.

Could “Forever More” be the same?

In short, yes and perhaps even more.

The first track, “Forever More“, immediately struck a chord. Instantly recognizable, but different in the heaviness that protruded from both the music and lyrics. A building track, without the superfluous synthesized drumbeats and unnecessary scratching from “Into the Now”. A backing guitar riff that is slightly heavier and certainly more modern than anything on previous Tesla albums, but without a doubt more entertaining, emotional and evolved than previous efforts.

The second track, “I Wanna Live” should, if life is fair, become a staple on modern rock radio. Unfortunately, for Tesla it probably will not as the band has been unfairly pigeonholed into the mascara and hairspray clique of late 80s throwaway rock and never really appreciated for the artistic value that they brought to the rock scene.

Another memorable track on the album is “Private Ledbetter”. At first it appeared to be a little corny, as it was an ode to our troops coupled with Jeff Keith’s rhyming madness trying to find words that rhyme with “Ledbetter”. Just so you know “Better”, “Letter”, and “Email” all are apparently within the realm of rhyming. Either way, it is now my favorite “Ledbetter” song displacing Pearl Jam’s epic, but incomprehensible “Yellow Ledbetter”.

However, that being said the best track on the album is “In a Hole Again”. A dark haunting tune that is both classic Tesla and a nice break from some of the ballads and acoustical covers that have for so long defined the band. Angry, accusing, raw, and even unashamedly containing the long-lost guitar solo that has seemed to disappear from modern rock today.

For the obligatory ballads, the album contains “Fallin’ Apart” and “Just In Case”. For my money I’d pick “Fallin’ Apart” as the better of the two as it simple seems more modern than the latter.

The only two songs that were the completely unlistenable are “All of Me” and the aptly titled “Bonus Track”. In “All of Me” it just seems like they are trying to hard to be relevant and there is something strange musically going on that I just can’t put my finger on while “Bonus Track” seems like something that should have been on a b-side of a Motley Crue album.

If you are a lifelong Tesla fan or simply checking out the band for the first time, check out “In a Hole Again”, “Forever More”, and “I Wanna Live”.

The only other thing somewhat peculiar about the album is the suspiciously lacking of the letter G and grammatically license in the song titles. Why must we have “Wanna”, ”Breakin”, and “Fallin”. Is this a message or some vain attempt to be tragically hip? I’m not sure, but for a band that has always played it straight this seems rather disturbingly odd and unnecessary as the music speaks for itself.

However, the lack of synthesized drumbeats or Jam-Master Jay “scratching it up” makes up for this anomaly.

Buy the album at RUFKMtunes immediately… if not sooner.   You won’t be disappointed and perhaps be able to appreciate at band that does not rely on machines to create a unique sound and may even be comforted by something being exactly as expected.