The cover of “Braver Than We Are” bears two names, those of rocker Meat Loaf and songwriter Jim Steinman.
It’s a rare writer who gets his name front and center, but Steinman is unique. His blend of hard-rock hooks, high emotion and camp silliness fused with Meat Loaf’s runaway-train vocals to give the world “Bat Out of Hell,” a 1970s rock classic and one of the ultimate guilty-pleasure albums.
Their likeable bombastic new album should please devotees of operatic, over-the-top rock, though it may not make new converts.
It’s a surprising word to use about a Meat Loaf record, but “Braver Than We Are” feels underpowered. The 68-year-old is no longer the unrestrained screamer of yore. His voice is gravelly and subdued, at times overwhelmed by Paul Crook’s grandiose production.