Juggernaut

by Laurie MercerJuggernaut was Frank Marino's second solo release for CBS since the dissolution of Mahogany Rush, and would prove to be his final release for a major, subsequently recording for Maze Records and others. Happily for CBS it was the most successful release of his tenure on the label, with the lead-off track "Strange Dreams" garnering enough airplay to qualify as a hit; even stranger for fans of maestro Marino, "Strange Dreams" doesn't have a guitar solo, but is propelled by rhythmic interplay with a synthesizer! Marino's guitar work throughout his career has been outstanding; channelling the spirit of Jimi Hendrix through his Gibson SG with his own stylistic flourishes, he constantly manages to display speed, precision, and feel through a considerable range of tempos and styles. Juggernaut could easily be a Mahogany Rush album, as Marino fluidly struts his stuff in front of a rocking rhythm section, effortlessly moving through psychedelia, hard rock, and blues metal. Headbanger highlights include the eight-minute still-topical troop tribute "Stories of a Hero," and the incendiary title track blazes to an explosive crescendo. All in all, a consistently strong release by an underappreciated artist.