Feeding off the Mojo

Feeding off the Mojo is the restart album NIGHT RANGER made after a long hiatus, taking in the atmosphere of the 1990s. It falls in a period when Jack Blades was focused on Damn Yankees and solo work, and the background of the record is that it was recorded with a reconfigured lineup. Restarting around Brad Gillis and Kelly Keagy, the band sought new expression in line with the hard-rock currents of the day rather than simply retracing its old hit formula. As a result, a harder, more direct hard-rock feel comes to the front, rather than the arena-rock glamour of old. In an era when grunge and alternative had risen, the sound reins in grand production and emphasizes the rawness of guitar and rhythm, reflecting a tension with the scene of the time. Brad Gillis’ guitar is as sharp as ever and a sense of melody is preserved, but the overall tone is shaded and subdued. The result is a strong yet weathered record, different in character from the bright, open sound of the 1980s. It did not match the early blockbusters commercially, yet it captures a band facing change head-on, and it stands as an important transitional document that bridges toward the full reunion to come.