Giant is back! They have released their long-awaited follow-up to 2010’s Promised Land. Shifting Time, the new album, was released on January 21, 2022, on Frontiers Records. I haven’t actually heard any of the band’s albums, since their debut, Last Of The Runaways, from 1989. But I still have it on CD. I and many other fans from that era, were drawn to the band because of their epic ballad, “I’ll See You in My Dreams”, off of that debut. It still is one of my favorite songs of the late 1980s. That is why I wanted to hear this new album and the new band line-up so much.
The new line-up includes founding members, David Huff, on drums and backing vocals and Mike Brignardello, on bass and backing vocals. The two other members include: guitarist John Roth and vocalist Kent Hilli, lead vocalist, from the Swedish band, Perfect Plan. Founding member Dann Huff, the original lead vocalist and guitarist, has given his seal of approval for Kent Hilli to take over the lead vocals, while Huff still performs some guitar throughout the album.
Drummer David Huff says, “We are very excited for people to hear “Shifting Time”! It has been way too long in between GIANT albums and we hope you find it worth the wait. Thanks to everyone at Frontiers and especially the fans for their undying support of GIANT!! We would love to follow up with some live dates in 2022, if that is something the fans would like to see, so hopefully we’ll see you out there!”
“Shifting Time”, kicks it all off with a cool slow keyboard intro. A dreamy start that makes you think this will be a different Giant album. Then, a very deep electric guitar solo erupts, before acoustic guitar and soft keyboards sooth. A wonderful opening, indeed.
But the AOR rock action soon kicks in with “Let Our Love Win”, It is a foot-stopping track, unlike the wonderful opening. A Sammy Hagar – era Van Halen type song.
“Never Die Young”, sounds more like the depth of the old Giant. Better lyrics and more great drumming and bass. The guitar solos are also much better. Kent Hilli sings some of the best lyrics on the album, “Here we stand in a world. When lives are going under. We cry for love. I’m trying hard to make it through. In a world that makes you wonder. If It’s not enough. Someday, somewhere, we’ll see the price we had to pay. Someone like you (someone like you). Can change it all (can change it all)”.
“Don’t Say a Word”, sounds like a good rocking Journey song, when they weren’t singing ballads.
“My Breath Away”, is another Journey/Giant of the past song. A good solid rocker.
“Highway of Love”, has some cool sound effects, at its opening. A Bon Jovi-like song, full of western/motorcycle themed sounds and lyrics.
“It’s Not Over”, has some of the best keyboards, since the opening. The first real Whitesnake/Journey-like ballad.
Cool keys open “The Price of Love”, along with a great electric guitar solo. Kent Hilli does his best David Coverdale impression.
“Standing Tall”, is a good solid Sammy Hagar rocker. Kent Hilli sounds a lot like Sammy here.
When I saw the title “Anna Lee”, I was really hoping for the Dream Theater cover. I love that Dream Theater song. But this is another weeping ballad, Hilli sings, “Anna Lee, I find it hard to move on. When we said all them words that went wrong. Anna Lee, how could our love carry on. When you found a new place to belong? Tell me, how do I walk alone?”
“Don’t Wanna Lose You”, is another Loverboy-like rocker. Hilli really sings this one well. He makes it one of the best performances on the album.
“I Walk Alone”, has an excellent keyboard opening, and then the electric guitars and drums join in. The lyrics are very good, and this is Hilli’s best performance on the album. The closer and finale, and the band finally makes this song different sounding than all of the others.
This is a good album. But after all the hype, I am not sure they lived up to it. It is solid AOR rock n roll. But people from my generation – (60s/70s), have heard so much of this, it is very hard to differentiate it, except for a few tracks, from anything else we have heard 1,000 times before. But if you are new to this music, this is it performed very well. As close to the ‘real thing’ as you can get without the original players from the 1970s/80s.
Track List
- Shifting Time – 1:33
- Let Our Love Win – 3:58
- Never Die Young – 3:24
- Don’t Say a Word – 3:34
- My Breath Away – 4:47
- Highway of Love – 4:25
- It’s Not Over – 5:37
- The Price of Love – 4:31
- Standing Tall – 4:13
- Anna Lee – 4:31
- Don’t Wanna Lose You – 3:32
- I Walk Alone – 4:02