Award-winning Canadian recording artist and songwriter, Cory M. Coons has been performing, writing and recording music since about the age of 13. The release of his latest album “The Long Road Home”, sees the Eastern Ontario creative collaborating with veteran Multi-Gold and Platinum decorated music producer, Ron Nevison, (Heart, Bad Company, Damn Yankees, Survivor, Styx, Night Ranger), along with additional tracking/overdubs, and driving force on guitar on this new record, guitarist/engineer Marc D. Muir. As a performer, Cory has opened and played alongside such treasured National Canadian Artists like April Wine, Kim Mitchell, Glass Tiger and David Wilcox. With its catchy hooks, thoughtful lyricism and great instrumental work, this is a great, extremely accessible melodic rock album.

Sure, this stuff isn’t in keeping with the current club-beats that are being pumped out by today’s pop-rock scene, but who cares, it feels good to just have some straight-up radio rock that wasn’t done by some teenage ‘rock stars’ riding the waves of computer generated soundscapes, singing with auto-tuned wobbles their mouths and putting out mediocre tunes for pseudo fans, who quite frankly wouldn’t know good rock n’ roll music if it kicked them in the balls. “The Long Road Home” is a fantastic mix of songs, most of which the casual rock listener would undoubtedly enjoy.

When I finally listened to “The Long Road Home” in full, I was in a daze; this music was just so emotional. It didn’t rely on screams or trippy vocals, loud guitars or menacing beats, it just was captivating, due to its expansive melodies and all-embracing arrangements.

Cory M. Coons creates extraordinarily enthralling pieces that range from lighthearted romps to melancholy ballads to epic up-tempo motifs. In fact, I can’t honestly say there is a single weak moment on this album. Moreover, Cory has a voice for the ages, one that is radio-ready for the mainstream, yet unique and powerful.

As evidenced by this album, Cory can pull off an incredible variety of singing styles, he can rock out on “Long Road ( Dead Man’s Dream”, and “Trail of the Chosen One”, and then croon on “Would You Stay” and “Shame On You”, where he even shows off his reverberating falsetto, while leaving the heartfelt emotional smoothness for “Break the Fall”.

His voice just seems to carry a tone not present in many singers of today, and it’s apparent in nearly every song. With the backing band also supplying a fervent bluesy rock feel, and epic builds that perfectly suit Cory’s singing style, which has many similarities to Jon Bon Jovi’s timbre and phrasing.

The special occasion to hear all of these mesmerizing elements, occurs on “Once Too Many, Twice Not Enough” and the flawless final song, “Love Will Fire the Flame”. This for me is the album’s magnum opus. Awash with both acoustic and electric guitars, a melody that soars, and a fleshed out arrangement that covers diverse tempos and moods.

This is the kind of warm epic sound that made mega group, Kansas, such a household name. There’s something timeless about good rock music, and its all here. The tracks are ripe with traditional goodness; bold heroic choruses, deep rich guitar tones in brilliant incandescent chords and muscular riffs.

“The Long Road Home” is a melodic rock album of, and for our times, delivered by a talented singer-songwriter, and while it would be an absolute delight to see him ever overtake this album, to do so would seem like a daunting task. What Cory M. Coons has done here is create an album completely devoid of filler, while also crafting such meticulous pieces that you never want it to stop.

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