Great White
Shot In The Dark

"And in the night as black as nothing,
suddenly, with the roar of a steep cliff
that collapses, the thunder rumbled and shattered" G. Pascoli

The roar of thunder, combined with the majestic flash of lightning. Great White reveal their intentions right from the cover of this album. "Shot in the Dark" was released in 1986, an incredibly prolific year for hard rock and heavy metal, and it is the second work for the Los Angeles band. The first self-titled album did not meet expectations, but on the second attempt, the group hits the mark. Certainly not the big hit that others would make in their place, but nevertheless. The dynamics of the music biz are often incomprehensible. The fact remains that from here on, and for a good five years, Great White would churn out a series of excellent records with good critical and commercial success.

"Shot in the Dark" is in every respect the least blues-oriented of these works and perhaps for this reason, the most personal. Music that stands in the limbo between old and new, drawing from seventies sounds, but at the same time making them current. A hard rock with refined architectures, a perfect alchemy between melody and aggressiveness. It is immediately the vehemence of the opener "She Shakes Me" that awakens our torpid senses, with its driving rhythm and streetwise aftertaste. The latent energy converges in the swirling riffs of the following "What Do You Do". In quick succession, the group offers two covers. The first is the lesser-known "Face the Day" by The Angels, which will also be chosen as the album's promotional single due to its blues-tinged driving groove. The second and decidedly more famous "Gimme Some Lovin'" by the Spencer Davis Group is presented instead in a decidedly original chromed and metallic guise. At this point, the listener might also think that this album is well-played, but lacks those tracks that can make the difference. Don't worry, nothing could be more wrong, you can throw that thought back to the source. Because Great White, like the most seasoned gamblers, are ready to play their four aces. And it is the rumble of thunder that introduces the biting title track, which, with its tight rhythm driven by a throbbing bass, lights the fuse of an explosive refrain. The keyboards, which so far have stayed in the background, begin to conquer the sound spectrum from the next "Is Anybody There?". A song with a cadenced rhythm that offers the first glimpses of melody. "Runaway" is instead a compelling track that winks at AOR, with its refined arrangements and a captivating chorus.

To close the album in great style, the heart-wrenching "Waiting for Love" is left, a wonderful ride that highlights the powerful and passionate voice of frontman Jack Russell, as well as the wonderful solo of guitarist Mark Kendall.

"Shot in the Dark" is the first in a series of hard rock jewels that the Great White Shark will give us. A decidedly underrated band, but one that has survived time, the alcoholism problems of its leader, and a tragic concert where a hundred people died. But that is another story. I definitely prefer the burning memory of this work to the cruel flames of that fire.