Epic Obsession

Epic Obsession, released in 2013, is the third album, on which Burning Rain tied thick guitar riffs, bluesy leads and powerful vocals together and sounded mainline hard rock's heat straight. The songs move boldly, but the choruses hold real vocal melody and never lean on riffs alone. Thirteen years had passed. In that time Doug Aldrich went to Dio in 2001 and then, in 2003, to a reformed Whitesnake at David Coverdale's invitation, while Keith St. John was singing in Ronnie Montrose's Montrose. Still inside Whitesnake, Aldrich began writing songs for this band. The rhythm section was renewed: Dokken's Sean McNabb on bass and Matt Starr, of Ace Frehley's circle, on drums. Frontiers released it in Europe and Warner Music in Japan. That same year, Frontiers reissued the long out-of-print first two albums, remastered and with two bonus tracks each — so it was also the year the back catalogue finally became obtainable. For all the long absence, the texture of the Aldrich-St. John pairing has not changed in the slightest.