When you’re piecing together your debut album in the hopes that it will stand out from the crowd, the artwork which adorns it can be as important (if not more so) than the music inside in terms of arousing interest. Given a straight choice between two unfamiliar releases, most people would naturally plump for the most potent visual image; and judging by the rather striking cover which graces debut album ‘Welcome To The Edge Of The World’, that invaluable lesson hasn’t been lost on newcomers Faithealer. Heralding the long overdue return of ivory tickler / composer Ivan Gunn (ex Balance of Power / Pride), Faithealer sees him team up with former Forever / S.I.N front man Jason Marks – perhaps not the most high profile collaboration dallying for your affections this month, but I’ll tell you what, I’m guessing that most melodic hard rock fans will be pleasantly surprised when they finally get to hear the finished results! Aided and abetted by a small but highly talented cast which includes Gunn’s ex Pride colleagues Matt Mitchell and Chris Green, Walk The Sky’s Rick Hunter-Martinez, and one time Balance Of Power man Paul Curtis, ‘WTTEOTW’ proves to be a textbook example of what can be achieved with little budget and even less outside support if you put your mind to it. Of course it helps if you have the songs to back up all the inevitable pre release hype, but on that score Gunn has always had a far keener ear for great melodies than most. Leaning more towards the bombastic melodic rock of the Balance Of Power debut ‘When The World Falls Down’ than the svelte AOR of Pride (although on some of the albums gentler moments there are definite echos of the latter), with a healthy dash of pomp thrown in for good measure (the soaring ‘Just Give Me Tonight’ has a real Red Dawn feel at times for example), ‘WTTEOTW’ has a wonderfully upbeat vibe permeating throughout. From emotion laden ballads such as the smouldering ‘Lay Down And Die For You’, or the fabulous duet ‘Heaven From Here’, through low slung mid paced numbers like ‘Second Sight’ or ‘Who Will Stop The Rain’, to blood pumping anthems akin to the aforementioned ‘Just Give Me Tonight’, what really stands out for me is the indisputable fact that the melodies have the kind of depth, clarity and (most importantly) longevity that most similar bands can only dream of. Ok, there’s the odd time when the limitations of the production budget come into play, but given the resources available to them, Faithealer can feel justly proud of what they’ve achieved. Well constructed, intelligently arranged songs filled with glorious hooks will always shine through at the end of the day, and that’s exactly what this album delivers.