Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Johnny's previous albums have not impressed me. But though the hard rocking AOR formulae is the same here the veteran Canadian displays a greater dynamic range and songwriting craft on 'No Frontiers' than shown previously. The turbulent rockers like "Generation Of Greed" where over a crunching riff you get a nifty denouncement of materialism wheezed with suitable passion, and the Springsteen-tinged opener work well while there are some attractive steps towards a more acoustic based sound. These, and the soulful ballad "There You Are" are among the strongest tracks here. Access to plenty of ICC studio time help give the album the kind of sheen essential to compete with the stream of American albums which adopt a similar musical posture. If your taste is towards classy AOR, 'No Frontiers' is for you.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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