The Summary Judgment Reviews:
Title: Faces
Artist: Chris Caffery
Label: Black Lotus Records
Release Date: 1/18/05

Rating: 2 Skulls
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    • Reviewed by Requiem (8/7/05):
    I was rather impressed by this man's story that he was basically making enough money to live off of Trans-Siberian Orchestra alone, that he was hanging out in bars all the time on his time off and he didn't want to become a waste of life, so to speak. With his free time away from TSO and Savatage, he launched a solo project, like almost every accomplished musician does sometime in their career. I've seen nothing but positive reviews about this album, but I can't understand for the life of me why.

    I'll be the first to admit that Chris is a fine guitarist and he's got quite the staff on hand here as well, with members of Doro, Rainbow, Savatage and TSO. What the problem is, is that the album really has no focus, it jumps all over the place, and it's just plain goofy. Thrown into the mix are the occasional good riff and pristine guitar playing, but the songs are just plain forgettable and painful to listen to. The moment I started listening to this, I was just waiting for it to end. "Pisses Me Off" is probably the most annoying song on the album, with lyrics that are so juvenile in nature, I feel like they're being read to me off of an elementary school desk. And while Chris does have a tuneful bone in his body when it comes to the mic, something about it just doesn't seem right. Don't get me started on the 2-disc thing. Anything more than an EP would have been overkill, but an LP plus bonus CD is just overkill to the max. Save some for later, dude.

    I've never really been exposed to a lot of Savatage, TSO, or the aforementioned musicians that participate in this release, but I'm sure fans of those bands may find some value in what's going on here. I just think the songs vary too drastically and the mood changes like a schizophrenic on crack. God bless the man for keeping busy and being productive and all that, but I don't see a lot of people being gung-ho about this, unless they are rabid fans of Chris Caffery and the projects that surround him. Even then, maybe not.
    2 out of 5

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