Having introduced himself to the world via the Vinnie Vincent Invasion and gone on to sell five million records during the 1990s as part of the band that still bears his surname, two years ago Mark Slaughter resurfaced with a debut solo album in the truest sense of the word. The singer played all of the instruments save for the drums, and Reflections In A Rear View Mirror was a creditable first effort.
Repeating that modus operandi, but with the mainman now assuming responsibility for production and engineering, Slaughter takes a step in the right direction with Halfway There, issued via a label owned by Megadeth bassist David Ellefson. From Hey You, a rousing fist-in-the-air opener, to Devoted’s pedal-to-the-metal approach, the psychedelic-flavoured pairing of Supernatural and Disposable and an emotive title track, these songs display more consistency, until some filler raises its ugly head during the final stages via the stodgy Reckless.
Halfway There? Three-quarters of the way, more like.
