Well it was interesting to see what approach 'Chris Impellitteri' would take after the departure of long standing vocalist 'Rob Rock', the simple answer was reinstate former front man 'Graham Bonnet'. Many, including myself thought this the easy option and despite being a respectable old school vocalist, I feel his voice doesn't suit a group as hard and fast as 'Impellitteri'. 'System X' is the first offering with 'Graham Bonnet' since 'Stand in Line', fourteen years ago, but vocally he has changed very little, in my opinion he still seems to struggle with the pace and range needed for a lot of the songs and while he's still pretty distinctive, I long for the return of one of the best front men in the business 'Rob Rock'. His contribution with the song writing is also missed and the penmanship on this release is a real mixed bag to say the least. Despite all said, the usual shredding guitars are still present with strong contribution from 'James Pulli', 'Glen Sobel' and 'Ed Roth' so overall 'System X' still makes for a pleasant journey.

'Rock & Roll Heroes' opens the show and the initial intro makes this opener sound just like 'Beware of the Devil' from 'Crunch', this is soon forgotten though and the track plods along fairly nicely, lyrically it's a bit lacking and like a lot of tracks present, features the song title repeated over and over again, in fact it maybe one of the weakest openings on an 'Impellitteri' album, as they always kicks off with a gem. Much superior is the follow up 'Perfect Crime', the rhythm work is fast and furious from the outset and the ensuing fret work and solos are blistering, 'Graham Bonnet' sounds strong especially on the chorus and it all comes together positively for the top track. The pace drops for the apocalyptic tale 'End of the World' the highlight of which, is the mid track 'Chris Impellitteri' solo where he works the scales like only he can, again the lyrics are fairly uninspiring and repetitive. Ok, call me a hypocrite but I like 'She's a Nighttime Lover', I should dislike it for previously mentioned lyrical reasons but I find it catchy, even if part of the chorus contains such howlers as "Oh nighttime lover, She'll never meet your mother", if you can't disregard classic lines like that, checkout another slaughtering guitar solo. 'Slow Kill' picks up the tempo, but 'Graham Bonnet' just sound out of place on this number and his strained vocals begin to get irritating, the song might of worked well with another vocalist. The quirkiness first featured on 'Crunch' tracks 'Freak Show' and 'Fear no Evil' makes a reappearance on 'Why do they do That', this appears to be an "anti vandalism" inspired number and really is nothing more than filler. A tribute to "Sep 11th", takes the form of 'United we Stand' and although a fair ripper, the patriotic yet aggressive stance that it portrays comes across as a little blatant. The delicate intro 'Gotta get Home' gives way to more blistering 'Melodic Speed' Metal, again the lyrics are trite, but the thumping rhythm and sweet axe work keep it worthy. Ensuing is the crunchy blazer 'What Kind of Sanity', which holds a dazzling display of fret work and more basic lyrics, despite certain strong verses. 'System X' closes on a high with the chorus heavy 'Falling in Love with a Stranger', the intro to which is a blatant rip off of 'Rainbows' 'All Night Long' but this is definitely one of the best cuts of the disc, 'Graham Bonnet' sounds strong on this slightly slower number and the chorus is a sing-a-long treat, as we have come to expect 'Chris Impellitteri' delivers the goods in a superb manner.

Thankfully they made it past the 40 minute mark unlike some of their previous albums, regrettably though the song writing is not up to the likes of 'Answer to the Master' and 'Eye of the Hurricane'. Nevertheless the shredding fretwork is still ever present and although not a classic, should keep the interest of 'Impellitteri' fans.