The Lightning is the debut power chord-charged sonic monolith from Navigate by Neon, a one-man project from the professional musician and producer Craig Whale.
After spending 30 years cutting his virtuoso teeth, his technical hair metal guitar licks are razor sharp, but that doesn’t get in the way of them malleably bending into hooks around the vintage analog synths and the vocal lines which soar as high as the guitars, enabling The Lightning to place you on a riff carved plateau.
Fans of Boston and Thin Lizzy will easily lose themselves in the tapestry weaved by the multi-layered guitars and the elevated harmonies, which allow Navigate By Neon to stay on a familiar roadmap while making his own mark on the metal landscape.
Described as nostalgic with a modern punchy twist by Hard Rock Hell Radio, Craig Whale is making all the right waves in the industry. The Lightning is discernibly a triumph, even more so when you factor in the chronic neurological condition which has limited the artist’s ability to play and perform in the past four years. Hit play for an affirmation of what dedication and determination sound like.
Stream The Lightning, which was officially released on June 9th via Spotify.
Review by Amelia Vandergast