50SHR #24: Biloxi (Mississippi)

 

50 STATES OF HARD ROCK #24: MISSISSIPPI

Band: Biloxi
Release: III In The Wake of the Storm
Year: 2007
Line-up: Mark Allen Lanoue (lead vocals, guitars), Clyde Holly (lead vocals on tracks 11 and 13, guitars, keyboards), Dave Melton (bass), Rob Gronkonski (drums), Stephan Prescott (keyboards)

Track Listing:
1.  Here Alone 
2.  World 
3.  Broken 
4.  15 Minutes 
5.  Saints and Angels 
6.  On the Other Side 
7.  Right the Music 
8.  Empty Road To Nowhere 
9.  The River 
10.  I Pray 
11.  Pray For Rain 
12.  Fly Into The Sun 
13.  Synchronicity II 
14.  Mercy (Bonus Track)  

Fletchanator's comment: Technically Biloxi aren't a Mississippi band, despite being named after the state. However, original lead vocalist/guitarist Clyde Holly was a native of the city of Biloxi MS, who moved to LA in the late 80s and formed this band there with musicians from New Jersey, West Virginia and New York.
Holly was the only constant in the band through the years, releasing a second album in 2003. Holly and co were working on this, the third album, in 2006 when sadly the great singer/guitarist passed away in his sleep after a gig. Holly had already recorded the vocals for two tracks - Pray For Rain and the Police cover Synchronicity II - but the rest were yet to be put to tape. So guitarist Mark Allen Lanoue stepped up to the microphone to complete the album.
On their debut album, which you can find here, Biloxi had a big AOR sound like Boston or Night Ranger. Here the sound is less showy, more towards melodic rock with less of the big harmonies. No doubt this is partly because of the absence of Holly (who, as a side note, produced the breakthrough album by fellow Mississippi natives Three Doors Down). Lanoue has a decent voice - nowhere near as good as Clyde, but given the circumstances he does well.
The name of this album actually came from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and was agreed to before Holly died, but given his sudden death and its effect on the band it has a fitting double meaning. The album is a decent sendoff for the band Biloxi (Lanoue is currently in the band Fiction Syxx with Tony Franklin of The Firm/Blue Murder and JK Northrup of King Kobra) and, on tracks 11 and 13 at least, a final chance to listen to the late great Clyde Holly (R.I.P.).

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