We lived to see such a miracle - a glam metal band to release an alternative rock album. This was the first thought that came to my mind when I heard “Waters Rising”. Then I remembered that Lillian Axe’s latest CD, “Psychoschizophrenia” (“only” 14 years back in time), was also alternative and even progressive oriented. Now, after the split and the reforming of the band, after a B-sides compilation and a live album, and after a change of vocalist and bass player, Lillian Axe are back again. Modest as always, they offer their few followers twelve new compositions of their indefinite heavy rock. Despite the long time between the last two studio records, “Waters Rising” sounds like a logical (and stronger) continuation of its predecessor. Derrick LeFevre is more than worthy of replacing Ron Taylor behind the microphone and his singing raises the quality of the record. The songs wander between the alternative metal of The Almighty, the grunge of Alice in Chains and the experiments of Skid Row in the 90’s. The guitar passages are heavy and Steve Blaze and Sam Poitvent work together so well that their work even reminds of the progressive searchings of Savatage some 15 years ago. This, however, is the main problem of the CD - it sounds like it has came out of the 90’s and somehow neither in place nor in time. And since many bands turn for inspiration towards the past, Lillian Axe do it in a manner showing that their creativity has ended and continued exactly then. Besides that, the band offers a collection of really great tracks. The opening title song is heavy rock with metal guitars, “Antarctica” is slow and heavy, like an alternative look at the first albums of Dream Theater with LaBrie. So is “Thirst” - the most metal composition on the album and one of my favorites. Of the glorious glam rock past of the quintet speaks the vigorous “Quarantine”, and the lyrical aspect is covered by the lovely “I Have to Die, Goodbye”, which starts with an acoustic verse and continues as a serious grunge confession, and the power ballad “Until the End of the World”, which is far away from the term “standard” with its changing rhythm, clean vocals and nice solos. The whole disc impresses with the technique and the expressive force of the musicians while composing and playing, and in the closing instrumental “5” their dignities explode with full power. Lillian Axe are obviously chameleons and they manage to give a hint of plenty of bands and specific albums of the last decade of the 20th century just in 12 songs. And while listening to “Waters Rising”, I reckon that if it was released some ten years earlier, the rating would be much higher.