Blind Faith - Closer

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Anytime I see a band that sets out to cover the legendary AOR kings JOURNEY, I think to myself “What an absolutely daunting task THAT has to be.” Steve Perry’s vocals, alone, are a beast to even consider; not to mention the musical chops of Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, Steve Smith and Ross Valory. It definitely presents a tall order, indeed; but that is exactly what the two-man BLIND FAITH has attempted on their debut EP “Closer”. Not an awful job of it, either.

BLIND FAITH, as stated, are a two-man project, consisting of vocalist Anton Darusso (OXIDIZE, WINGS OF DESTINY, MAGIC OPERA) and Allan “Kalay” Murillo Guzman (ex-WINGS OF DESTINY). The project was born out of shared stage work with Mike Vescera (ex-Yngwie Malmsteen, LOUDNESS) during 2020, after creating demos and realizing they were onto something. Both musicians are accomplished, versatile and extraordinarily talented. That talent is obvious on the EP, but still falls just a touch short.

The release opens with a shredder titled “Dream Chaser”. Kalay’s musical prowess is on full display on this tune, with all the boxes checked nicely. His guitar work here is very reminiscent of Malmsteen himself, with blazing solos and fills quite abundant throughout the song. His bass and drum work are also top shelf, very solid and heavy. Darusso’s vocal is equally impressive, with the vocalist showing a fantastic range and a capability to pound the high notes when needed. The writing on this cut, lyrically, doesn’t quite stand as tall. While Darusso’s passionate voice does its best to present the song, the lyric just felt a little out of place in spots, as if he was reaching for anything he could just to fill space.

“Closer”, the title track for this release, again works well in a strictly musical sense. Not quite as heavy as the opener, it still shows some wonderful skills from the Costa Rican born Kalay. The man obviously knows composition, and his talent is not at all lost on me. His music is filled with fire. Darusso’s voice, here a little gruffer than its predecessor, is still up to task; but again, the vocal metering of the lyric just feels off for some reason that I can’t really put my finger on. It could be in translation, and I may be “nitpicking” a bit too much for my own good.

As for the already mentioned cover, “Separate Ways” from JOURNEY’S “Frontiers”, what can be said? It is honestly a fine job on such lofty material, with both guys firing on all cylinders to bring it home. I hope these guys are looking at the future. Their work has promise, and quite a lot of it; but the songwriting needs work. I’m sure it will come.

Songwriting: 6
Musicianship: 10
Memorability: 6
Production: 8