Gary Hughes - Veritas (CD)

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Gary Hughes is the voice of TEN the British melodic rock band that created from Gary's first solo albums and the musicians that participated in them. TEN's music gain success in the '90s mostly with the album Spellbound and Gary Hughes became one the most recognizable voices in British hard rock music. Veritas ('truth' in Latin) is Hughes' 6th solo album after last year's release of TEN's The Twilight Chronicles.
The album's opener and self-tiled song Veritas enters really powerful, with sustained guitar rests and with the hi-hat counting fours. Gary's voice kicks in smoothly and the song progresses pretty smooth. The first thing the listener notices is the excellent sound. Gary Hughes made the production as well and it seams like he is the only one that could get this result. He also played the keyboards in the album that have a leading role along with the guitar melodies. Gary's voice is in the middle of the frequency scale. He's voice doesn't reach the high notes something which is the routine in hard rock and AOR music. That is the main reason the verses of Veritas' songs do not have the dynamic a hard rock album should have, for the song to draw the listener's interest. From the other hand the lyrics are great, full of love and pain (that is how we like it!), the melodies and chords being clever and meaningful.
In My Head is another melodic song that reaches the AOR shores. Maybe Gary Hughes wants to try an alternate way to approach his AOR influences. Songs like I Pray For You and Synchronicity are another proof of that, a song that could easily turn back your mind to the '80s cold winter's moments that everybody watches MTV and listens to ASIA, SURVIVOR or MARILLION. The keyboards have the sound that definitely Hughes chooses to remind us that area of rock.
Even though Gary Hughes did the production, sang, played bass and keyboards on this album, his TEN band mates didn't leave him alone. Chris Francis and John Halliwell contribute some musically great ideas with their guitar knowledge in Varitas.
With Strange the music style turns a little bit too southern blues with a lot of  an I Want To Break Free (from QUEEN) feeling. All I Want Is You is the best song of the album. Slow rhythm and heavy sound with lyrics full with the memories of a man dying for her love and with a Coverdale-in-pain kind of voice, Gary Hughes transfers us to the land of his pain.
Gary Hughes delivers an album full of his influences, experiences and opens the door to the past with his look on the future at the same time. Hughes with Veritas is looking for truth and love and we just have to follow him.