Finally, I have the pleasure to listen to some new material from TNT. This is a six track EP meant to give us a "taste" of what to expect with the band's forthcoming full length album due out later this year. The current lineup of the band is as follows: Tony Harnell (vocals), Ronni Le Tekro (guitars), Morty Black (bass) and Diesel Dahl (drums). The last album this lineup created together was 1987's masterpiece, Tell No Tales.

This EP is everything I had hoped for from TNT. Firefly was a complete disaster in my opinion, one that left me very weary of the band's future. Transistor was a nice step in the right direction. This album saw the band move closer to their roots, although the album was still a bit too experimental at times and inconsistent. Taste sees TNT recapture the spirit of their classic material, while in no way repeating themselves or sounding dated.

Of the five new tracks on this EP, 3 are addicting, hard rock anthems that jump on me instantly. TNT is back! This is melodic hard rock at its best. Live Today, Satellite, and Give Me A Sign are all upbeat numbers that showcase addictive melodies, Ronnie Le Tekro's classic riffs, and a stellar vocal performance. Tony Harnell's voice is one of the most recognizable in the genre, and he is in tip-top shape in 2003. Satellite is my favorite track on the album with its fun, upbeat, yet hard rocking nature. Hey Love is a laid back, ballad-esque cut with a slightly dark atmosphere. This is a well written, catchy tune just like the aforementioned Live Today, Satellite, and Give Me A Sign. It compliments the 3 hard rocking tracks very well. Magic Little Nightmare is an acoustic backed ballad that focuses on Tony's vocal prowess. Honestly, I'm not a big fan of acoustic ballads, but for what it is, the guys do a good job with it. If the forthcoming album is anything like the other 4 new tracks, I will be a very happy fan! The final track, Destiny is a leftover track from the Tell No Tales sessions. Why was this track left off that album? Tell No Tales is a rather short album that could have used another hard hitting, riff driven track such as Destiny. In any event, I'm glad that TNT decided that fans should finally hear this track; it's a very worthwhile travel back in time.

Well, so far, so good for TNT fans in 2003. I'm eager to hear what the guys have come up with for a full length album, hopefully to be released late this year. Taste offers an extremely encouraging sign of what to expect in the near future.

As a side note, the European release of Taste (entitled Give Me A Sign) excludes one track, Magic Little Nightmare. In my opinion, that is by far the weakest track of the bunch. Therefore, the European release will provide you with best new material if you are unable to obtain (or cannot afford) the Japanese release.