Mennen - Planet Black

Mennen’s first album was released all the way back in 1994 taking its name from founder and front man Joss Mennen, former singer of Zinatra who toured the world and enjoyed chart success in Europe, Asia and South America with their brand of happy, poppy metal.

Mennen the band is a much more mature and satisfying proposition. ‘Planet Black’ is their fifth studio album and was produced by Erwin Musper (Van Halen, Scorpions, Bon Jovi). They have created an album chock full of driving, insistent rhythms, infectious hooks and sweetly powerful riff-age. All the guitars were recorded by Eric van de Kerkhof whose guitar “vocabulary” extends from roaring rhythms to delicate lead flourishes worthy of Steve Howe. Eric quit the band shortly after recording and was replaced by former Zinatra man Gino Rerimassie which is why the latter is the one with his photos on the cover art. 

Musically this is melodic hard rock, but wonderfully devoid of any eighties clichés or nostalgia. This is music for now and the future, performed with passion, honesty and skill. Every track offers up a different set of emotions and textures from the solid rocking of ‘Can’t Get It out of My Head’ and ‘Power to the Bone’ to the funked up musicality of ‘On Fire’. The epic pop of ‘Green Elephants and Blue Clouds’ is also underpinned by an irresistible groove and some flamboyant drum work from Fon Janssen. This groove culminates in the pure swing of album closer ‘Future Ahead’ which owes more to Sting’s ‘Dream of the Blue Turtles’ than to fist pumping hard rock.

This is a clever, classy album with a production which feels expensive (and expansive!) but keeps every instrument sounding real and fresh; “analog” if you will. It’s a joy when musicians who play with emotion and skill come together with a producer who understands how to get the most out of them as well as how to capture and optimise their performance. Such a marriage is evident on ‘Planet Black’. It is stunning value for money as well with thirteen tracks on offer and a DVD. The DVD features the entire album remixed in Dolby 5.1 and a documentary ‘The Making of Planet Black’ that charts the band’s journey to America and working with Erwin Musper at his “Bamboo Room” studios in Cincinnati. With stunning artwork by Eric Philippe (TNT, Rhapsody), this is a very attractive package to any serious fan of rock music … Quality!