Hardline
Double Eclipse

Hardline is a project of the former child prodigy Neal Schon. The guitarist had just left Bad English and, inspired by listening to future brothers-in-law Johnny and Joey Gioeli, respectively vocals and guitar, he decided to reprise the successful formula. To complete the line-up, the indispensable Deen Castronovo on drums and Todd Jensen on bass were enlisted.

The group’s debut album is titled "Double Eclipse," released in 1992, and it is one of the cornerstones of 90s AOR. Nothing new under the sun. It's a rock that combines energy and instrumental sophistication. Melodiousness combined with power. This work, nearly two decades later, remains damn fresh and current, embellished by truly refined and never banal arrangements.

Castronovo's thunderous drumming introduces "Life's a Bitch", an energetic and compelling opening track that culminates in a finale dominated by intense and lightning-like guitar. It is followed by the stately and powerful "Dr. Love," supported by an enveloping riff that preludes an inspired solo by the ever-present Schon. The subsequent "Rhythm from a Red Car" is instead a faster piece, with roaring guitars and radio-friendly melodies. The rhythm is broken by the passionate ballad "Change of Heart," which runs along the tracks of the most vivid AOR, exalting the voice and emotional interpretation of singer Johnny Gioeli. The energy returns with the following "Everything," the first of the tracks composed in collaboration with ex-Journey Jonathan Cain, characterized by a catchy chorus. "Taking Me Down" is another urgent and pressing song, with a refrain where the guitar mimics the voice. The album continues with the hit "Hot Cherie," a cover of Sweetheart, which is introduced by atmospheric keyboards and then develops into inspired and driving hard rock. Probably the best of the bunch. A pounding bass introduces "Bad Taste," a track with an almost rock'n'roll pace. The subsequent "Can’t Find My Way" is a refined ballad, with the usual masterful performance of the frontman and a motif that becomes indelibly etched in the mind.  
The second track signed by Jonathan Cain comes with the mid-tempo with folk shades "I’ll Be There." The brief and melancholic acoustic instrumental "31-91" preludes the last track of the album, "In the Hands of Time," a dramatic and solemn ballad, accompanied by Schon’s acoustic.

And so this work will also be left in the hands of time. We are in the middle of the grunge period, the new cultural revolution, and AOR is music at the opposite ends. Melodies of times gone by. The group disbands after some tours with Van Halen, Extreme, and Mr. Big. And the admirable singer Johnny Gioeli will join the band of guitar hero Axel Rudi Pell. The reunion attempts in 2002 and 2009, without Neal Schon’s participation, do not revive the band's fortunes. Leaving us with this small but brilliant gem. And it's not a little.