Review: No Favors – The Eleventh Hour

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Review: No Favors – The Eleventh Hour

Pride & Joy Music (November 22nd, 2024)

Reviewer: David Pearce

No Favors are a hard rock band from Stoke on Trent, the hometown of Lemmy and Slash. It is a town I have a lot of affection for as I spent three very happy years there at Staffs Poly so I wasn’t going to pass up the chance to support these Stokies! They have been around since the 80s when they were in the NWOBHM stable, supporting acts like Saxon and Magnum. Although they have not been prolific, founder member and rhythm guitarist Carl Ogden kept the idea of the band going and is still there 40 years on with the new line-up of lead vocalist and keyboard player Dani J Rankin, lead guitarist Dan Ogden, bassist Pete Challinor and drummer Tom Bevan. So, what is the new album, ‘The Eleventh Hour‘ like? Grab yourself a couple of oatcakes and I’ll tell you.

The opening track ‘The Monkeys Are In Charge Of The Zoo‘ could apply to virtually anywhere these days! It starts the album off in a blaze of heavy metal with a massive wall of sound and great guitar work from Dan Ogden that calls to mind the heyday of Judas Priest and lead vocals from Dani J Rankin that are absolutely fearsome. This is starting an album as it means to go on. Second track ‘Stop Where You Are‘ is a total belter, and one of my two favourite tracks on the album. The opening guitar riff reminds me of Whitesnake in their early 80s prime. Rankin shows that he can do smooth vocals with just as much skill as the more intense vocals on the opening track. Carl Ogden, Pete Challinor and Tom Bevan give the song its power and work together seamlessly on the track to make this one that would be a standout on any album. ‘Destiny‘ has another powerhouse performance from Bevan who smashes his drumkit into submission and great harmonies from Rankin and Challinor on the chorus. It’s a trio of tracks as strong as you can get on an album, and a real statement of intent. ‘Wild Days‘ is just a stunning song with great lyrics and a feel of quality from first note until last. It’s definitely one of the best ballads I have heard this year with a mix of hard rock and a country sensibility that is incredible. It’s my other favourite from this album. ‘Need For Speed‘ heads straight back into the heaviest of territory with a power and intensity that sounds like a track that AC/DC would have been happy to call their own.

‘No Looking Back‘ kicks off the second half of the album with another lyrically reflective track that has more of a soft rock sensibility than the previous songs which made a really interesting counterpoint to the first half. ‘Never Let You Go‘ is a non-nonsense piece of music that takes the listener along with it in its confident and crafted way. It’s a song that I think will absolutely soar when they play it live. ‘Only Memories Remain‘ is another ballad that benefits from a lightness of touch, musically and vocally. Rankin really is a vocalist of quality and variety and he lifts the band with the ability he has to put a song across. ‘My World, Your World, Our World‘ is the penultimate track of a consistently excellent album, an excellence that means that it doesn’t stand out, but it adds to the feeling that this is one of the best heavy rock albums of the year. The final track ‘Little White Lies‘ returns to the early 80s as No Favors turn on the style to finish the album on a high. It encapsulates their biggest quality, their tightness as a unit, playing for each other and allowing each band member to shine.

‘The Eleventh Hour‘ is my favourite hard rock album of the year and I have only enjoyed one other album as much as this one all year. So, on my personal records of the year this is right up there with ‘Time Machine’ by Cats in Space. Give it a go, you won’t be disappointed!

Tracklist:

  1. The Monkeys Are In Charge Of The Zoo
  2. Stop Where You Are
  3. Destiny
  4. Wild Days
  5. Need For Speed
  6. No Looking Back
  7. Never Let You Go
  8. Only Memories Remain
  9. My World, Your World, Our World
  10. Little White Lies

Line-up:

Dani J Rankin – lead vocals and keyboards
Carl Ogden – rhythm guitar
Dan Ogden – Lead guitar
Pete Challinor – bass and backing vocals
Tom Bevan – drums

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1 Comment

  1. That’s an awesome review mate. Thanks so much and we are so glad that you enjoyed it. We also have to thank Johnny Price from Lower Lane Studios for producing and engineering the album, Alex Cooper for the support artwork and Joe Mayer from Dech Noir Photography. Cheers (Pete No Favors)

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