Artist: Grand Design 
   Title: Time Elevation
   Label: Metal Heaven

Just when you thought 2009 couldn’t produce any more special debut albums another comes your way and this time it's Grand Design, the brainchild of producer and vocalist Pelle Saether.  This album actually started out as long ago as 2006, so has three years made this album worthwhile?, quite honestly YES!, this album is pure Rock Gold.  A mix of early Def Leppard with and the modern Melodic Rock that has been coming out of Sweden for years.

From the off the album is all the Melodic Rock diehards have been wanting in a band, a vocalist in Saether who epitomizes the genre and with the guitar of ex-Vanessa guitarist Peter Ledin, the pair deliver the goods in spades with the opening track 'Love Sensation' and it carried on through well into 'Slugged Out', the second track on this tremendous album.

The album is mixed with great rock tracks and some quite sublime ballads and every thing in between and one of those in-betweeners is next, 'Air It Out' a song that reminds me of early Helix with that touch of classic Leppard in the guitar parts.

As up-tempo rockers go on this album they don’t come any better than 'Ready For Action', this is old school 80’s infused rock that is a joy to both ear and mind.  Again with Saether igniting the atmosphere with some great vocals.

The  tempo is brought down just a touch with 'Sad Sound Of Goodbye', a gentle slice of AOR that will meet those AOR fans into Journey approval for sure, before the band bring things bang up to date with probably my favourite track off the album 'No Time For Love', a great mix of gentle vocals at the intro and the more headier rock element that made Leppard such a worldwide success this is just a great track no other way to put it.

For those who like me like to get a little down and dirty then 'Hello Mr. Heartache' and 'Let's Go Down Fighting' are the ones for you.  Big guitar riffs and a stomping back beat are all hear so get your dancing shoes on for these two,

'Sheik Iddup' is a groove filled spectacle that rocks from the off and lead nicely into the album closer the excellent ballad 'Love Will Know', which rounds off a great album and a superb debut from a band with a big future in this genre so watch out for them in 2010.

Tracklisting:

01. Love Sensation
02. Slugged Out
03. Air It Out
04. Piece Of The Action
05. Sad Sound Of Goodbye
06. No Time For Love
07. Hello Mr Heartache
08. Let's Go Down Fighting
09. Sheik Iddup
10. Love Will Know

 

                  

 

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