Bloody marvellous!

The second solo album from Tony Mills sees him taking a similar but different path regarding his solo work. If you're expecting Shy or TNT part 2, then you likely to be disappointed; whilst he retains all the hallmarks of his previous outfits, 'Over My Dead Body' takes a slightly harder road.

Opener 'Time Won't Wait' bears the hallmarks of 'Operation: Mindcrime' era Queensryche, not just vocally but stylistically. 'We Should Be On By Now' once again treads the tried and tested melodic path with plenty going on including counter melodies, massive layers of backing vocals and even an Orchestral arrangement which drags this slightly into Melodic Prog territory.
'No Love Lost' veers into far more familiar territory with a chorus to die for and a killer guitar solo. It amazes me that with a history and track record as long as Mills', he seems to be finally finding a style which not only showcases the power and range of his voice but finds the perfect solution musically and straddles both Shy and Siam works.

'Bitter Suite' is different; I'm not sure you would call it straight A Cappella but there is certainly a large degree of it and the odd robotic voice and a suggestion of a Monastic influence for good measure – cleverly done and totally unexpected. 'Northern Star' is built on the back of staccato riffing guitars and is a more traditional "fist in the air" Rocker which again highlights Mills vocal ability alongside a beautifully subtle keyboard melody.

'4 In The Morning' is a contender for "Track Of The Year" by anyones standards; total Melodic Rock heaven with soaring vocals, multi-layered backing vocals with beautifully innocuous keyboards behind a massive riff – rarely have I ever heard Mills deliver so wonderfully. If '...Morning' wasn't enough, 'Somewhere In London' is straight out of the eighties and ranks right up there with Shy's 'Brave The Storm'. Yes it is that GOOD and it'll leave Melodic Rock fans doubtlessly wetting themselves upon hearing it and justifiably so.

Shall I go on or simply say, rarely if ever, does an artist come up with such an album full of wonderful material (especially for a solo album), but Mills has. Aided and abetted by the wonderful Robert Sall and even pulling in world famous producer Neil Kernon on bass, Mills has proved beyond doubt that the term "formerly of Shy" no longer matters and based on this, he is more than capable of standing on his own two feet as a solo artist.

This album is magnificent all round, new and fresh as well as old and clichéd in equal amounts with the sole winner the listener. Bloody marvellous!

Kieran Dargan