Winger in Bloomington, MN

Since
Winger
was marketed largely on the looks of lead singer
Kip Winger
, and since their sleazy rockers and lovelorn
ballads
cover the same old
pop-metal
territory, the band's high-quality musicianship tended to get overlooked. Guitarist
Reb Beach
earned wide praise from other musicians, and he, ex-
Dixie Dregs
drummer
Rod Morgenstein
, and keyboardist
Paul Taylor
bring a distinct
progressive metal
influence to many of the tunes on
. Even if the lyrics are standard issue, the album is impeccably composed, crafted, and played, with melodies, riffs, and guitar solos taking off in unexpected directions and keeping the listener slightly off balance -- no easy task in the cookie-cutter
hair metal
genre. The only misstep is an overdone, tight-assed, totally misguided recasting of
"Purple Haze."
Otherwise,
is a surprisingly accomplished debut. ~ Steve Huey