NEH Records

Pokerface features vocalist Darcy Deutsch (White Vision, Prism), gutarist Kenny Kaos (White Vision, Darby Mills, Paul Laine, Project X) and bassist Dave Hopia (Frenzy, White Vision). Engineered and mastered by Paul Dean and featuring songwriting by Mike Reno (both of Loverboy) this album is hard rock with a keen slice of melody and a good helping of AOR. Canadian rock at its very best.

Drop-D Magazine

Wow, this sounds like it would be a perfect fit for one of them CTV dramas. "Ordinary Day" would certainly work at the end of Nikita. Are we far enough away from the 80's for this to qualify as retro? Dated FM radio rock, power ballads, Loverboy-isms -- what the hell are these guys thinking? And what's the punchline? There's even an unplugged version of "Scars," a stirring power ballad with lyrics like "You stumble and you fall / Pick up the pieces and carry on." I am not making this up. If you miss Winger, Warrant, Loverboy, et al, then this -- THIS! -- is the album for you. Relive those old memories of crimping irons, hairspray, acid-wash jeans and pastel-coloured tank-tops. Life's a Gamble evokes all those rose-coloured rememberings. Boy, it sure takes me back to the days when I didn't listen to the radio for fear of hearing crap like this. Not that they're not authentic or anything, as the band features ex-members of Prism, Bonham, and Colin James' band, plus the album was mixed by Loverboy guitarist Paul Dean. So Pokerface do come by their embarrassing leanings honestly, but that doesn't mean you have to listen to their endless boring songs, whiddly whiddly guitar solos and Mike Reno-tribute singer bellowing trite, sentimental clichés. Did this stuff ever qualify as Rock and Roll? Shudder.

Review by Michael O'Donahue, April 25, 1998

www.mswings.com

If I tell you that the album features Kenny Loney (Project X) and Darcy Deutsch (ex-Prism), this may help some of you. I have to admit that they're new names to me. However I do recognise the name of Paul Dean from Loverboy at the mixing desk. So was it a case of "Lovin' every minute of it" ? (groan.....) Well, no. Mentioning the word "ordinary" in the opening song title was perhaps prophetic. That's my overall impression of this album. It's just so ordinary. Not good, but not particularly bad either. I've already mentioned Loverboy and it looks like I'm going to continue to use them as the reference point. Pokerface occupy the same musical territory - commercial hard rock. However, they're not as polished as Loverboy. I'm not particularly keen on the vocalist. He tends to adopt a higher pitched metal style especially on the choruses. The fact that Kenny had a hand in writing it and the presence of Paul Dean means that it's not surprising that the Loverboy song "For You" makes an appearance. It not a bad version, but it really doesn't add a new perspective to the original. The other songs worth a mention are the uptempo "Read Between The Lines" and the album highlight "Make Me A Believer". If there had been a few more songs in the class of the latter, I'd have a lot more enthusiasm for this album.

Rating : 5/6

Metal Hammer

This is a Canadian CD produced by guitarist Kenny Loney and Darcy Deutsch of White Vision, and mixed by Paul Dean the guitar player for Loverboy. I have to say that this CD is a quality product. The quality marks were made by the vocals of Darcy Deutsch and by the bass playing of Dave Hopia who were also in White Vision. The guitar on Hearts Gone Crazy has a fantastic solo by Jeff Waters. This album is still living in the eighties. Melodic rock with a four piece. With all the fire and desire lyrics and hot soul. That's what Pokerface is with Loverboy influences. And I have to say that they are better than all the journey. Pokerface is a smoking band.

Jorg Staude, Germany, January 1997

Force Magazine

Great surprise that comes from Canada with this band of new beat. Even though the musicians of the band are so experienced. We begin with Darcy Deutsch, vocalist who toured in 1980 with Simon Kaos, recorded "Jericho" in the same year with Prism and in 1986 he published an album with White Vision. Dave Hopia, bassist, recorded and toured with frenzy in 1980 and got together with Darcy to edit the album of White Vision. Kenny "Kaos" Loney, guitarist, who also joined Darcy in 1980 and Simon Kaos, recorded and toured with a Canadian band called Giant that had to change their name because there was a band of the same name in the U.S.A. He wrote themes for Point of Power, Loverboy, Paul Laine, Darby Mills, co-produced the album of White Vision, Alexis Bittersweet, and currently belongs to Project X. With this resume of recordings and contribution of these musicians and friends of long time the result is a Jewel. Pokerface practices a good level of Hard Rock, with mixes of Von Groove the first album of Mitch Malloy, Paul Laine and some touches of Aldo Nova. "Life's A Gamble" opens with "Ordinary Day" potential hard rock with excellent melodies on what makes us look forward to the album. The song "Missing in Moscow" is much in line with Mitch Malloy in his debut. "Read Between the Lines" this sound is more like Von Groove. Fast like "Hearts Gone Crazy" where the solo in guitar is performed by Jeff Waters from Annihilator and with the Loverboy sound we found "For You". For the recording we have found the contribution of Andy Lorimer, Lance Chalmers, and Don Wolf (Project X) and Darcy Just. When an album to you is good, you don't know what mark to give it, but without a DOUBT at the MOMENT this is the best Album from Escape Music for lovers of hard melodic rock.

Mariano Crespo, Madrid Spain - Issue No. 14, Rating 98/100

AOR Classics Magazine

Pokerface are an all new band from Canada and feature Kenny "Kaos" Loney, who has recently played with Don Wolf in Project X, an album also available on the Escape label. What first attracted me to this recording is the inclusion of lead vocalist Darcy Deutsch, the very same man who sang on the Prism album "Jericho". Those not familiar with "Jericho" should launch a full search now to fill their mind with music from one Canada's finest melodic rock bands. Prism are a household name in Canada's rock history, Darcy was their most recent singer and his voice is one of the best I have heard. If you want to listen to another example of his superior crooning then pick up on the Long Island release by "White Vision" which is really a predecessor to Pokerface as it also features "Kaos" and Dave Hopia. Pokerface are a much more guitar-oriented prospect to Prism, and a superior extension to White Vision, that is very apparent from opener "Ordinary Day" which bursts out from the speakers from the moment the works "It's Just Another Ordinary Day" are uttered. This is no ordinary song, the production is awesome and with mixing from Paul Dean of Loverboy, how can it fail to hit the mark? "Missing In Moscow" is a great follow up tune, catchy chorus line and aggressive guitar licks notch up a quality cut. "For You" sounds very Loverboy-ish, not that suprising really as Mike Reno and Paul Dean co-wrote the song with "Kaos". This brings back fond memories of the very first album by these cult Canadians. "Scars" slows down the pace a touch, a great ballad with exemplary vocal work from Darcy and powerful acoustics to back it up. And then we are treated to the best song on the album, "Hearts Gone Crazy", a song that rallies at a tremendous pace. Check out that guitar solo and altogether magnificent drumming from Brendan Ostrander. The odd splash of keys can be heard in the mix, provided by Andy Lorimer, who also played alongside Darcy in Prism. "Read Between The Lines" is a well executed effort, smartly followed up by the powerful "Run", the song that turned me on to the band when it was featured on the superb sampler CD given away with Hard RoxX magazine. Track number eight, "Road To Paradise", has an overpowering vocal intro before treating us to a great chorus line. Bet you can't stop singing along to this one! The last two tracks "Make Me A Believer" and "Looks Like It's Over" are typical Pokerface And are as hard hitting as any other songs on the album. Again, I must draw your attention to the crisp production and mature musicianship. Pokerface are up there with the big boys when it comes to quality hard rock, life can be a gamble, but a release like this should prove a safe one for the boys at Escape Music.

Edinburgh, Scotland - Issue No. 14