Two terrific singers, twelve great songs, a dynamic production, some incredibly good guitar solos and a rock (sorry) solid rhythm section.

This is the second album in a row from Escape that features two of our best British Rock vocalists. This time we have Nigel Bailey and Lee Small doing their thing and, just like the Ozone album, this is a triumph.

The singers are joined by an old friend of Bailey's on drums in Steve Clarkson and Paul Hulme of Demon and Lawless on guitars, who is simply outstanding throughout this album. Also like the Ozone, Lifeline haven't gone down the duets road with Bailey and Small each having their own songs to work on, whilst complementing each other on shared vocal lines.
This doesn't give the album a disjointed feel however, instead what we have here is a Hard, Heavy and Melodic release that Rocks. What pleased me the most about the album though is how well the two singer's voices work together. I've been a Small fan for a long time and really enjoyed Bailey's solo album but on here the two have really upped their game, with each man putting in some truly top flight performances.

'Fear No More' kicks things off and it's a master-class in how to make a great sounding Hard Rock song. The guitars of Hulme are superb and the shared vocals and harmony vocals show from the start that Lifeline really do mean business. Following this auspicious start the band continue to Rock the listener with stylish tracks like 'Far From Home', the Sleazy 'Jezebel', the dramatic 'Scream' where Bailey, Small and Hulme combine to great effect and 'Now His Angels Gone' which is a beautifully played and arranged ballad.

But the song that I think deserves the most credit, is the anti-war 'Nightmare Dream'. It's about a young soldier wounded and dying on a lonely hillside and searching for answers as he prays that he doesn't die. Strong emotional lyrics and dramatic performances really make this the standout track; just give it a listen and I'm sure it will move you as it did me.

Lifeline have to their credit, two terrific singers, twelve great songs, a dynamic production, some incredibly good guitar solos and a rock (sorry) solid rhythm section, so what's not to like? I just hope they get to tour – I know, how about Ozone and Lifeline on a double bill (come on Escape...make it happen...pretty please).

Ian Johnson