Artist: Last Autumn's Dream 
   Title: Hunting Shadows
   Label: Escape Music

Hot on the heels of last years release ‘Saturn Skyline’ Last Autumns Dream have again set the pace for the rest of the AOR/Melodic Rock bands to follow with their new album ‘Hunting Shadows’.

Again it's the combination of the superb vocal talents of ‘Mikael Erlandsson and the riffs of virtuoso guitarist Andy Malecek, together with the back bone rhythm section of Jamie Borger on drums and Marcel Jacob on bass, that make this band something rather special in the whole Melodic Rock genre.  Combined these four talents will once more have you watering at the mouth at what is to come, and believe me you wont be disappointed at the result.

The album opens up with ‘Strange Operation’ and instantly you're thrown into a proper Melodic Rock album with Erlandsson making his mark from the off.  Together with Malecek’s riveting solo, this is a fine way to open any album.

The album just builds on the solid foundation of the opener as it carries on producing the goods with ‘My Alibi’, a real slice of AOR this one in the kindest way, great melodies mixed with Erlandsson’s fine vocals.

‘Overnight Sensation’ picks up the pace a little with Malecek getting things underway with a fine solo riff before the rest of the band bring things to the boil with some fine rhythm sections bridges courtesy of Borger and Jacob.

The ballad has always been a big part of the whole Melodic Rock scene and the band do the diehards proud with the excellent Journey-esque tones of ‘I’m Not Supposed To Love You Anymore’.

This is where the tracks get a little mixed up on the promo as 'War Of Your Worlds' is replaced by the mid tempoed rocker ‘Lost In Moscow’, never the less this doesn’t deter from fact that this is great song and I think one that fits in well after the gentle ballad.

‘R U Ready For Rock N' Roll’ is next again a great mid tempo rocker that livens up proceedings and I can imagine this being a big live track.  It certainly has that big stage vibem, a huge guitar solo and a thumping back beat.

‘Serenity’ follows and brings the whole sound bang up to date with its down tuned guitar sound and grittier sound.

Track of the album for me though has to be the magnificent ‘War Of Your Worlds’, which does include a little Jeff Wayne keyboards if you listen really carefully and Malecek does a little of his own Wayne style guitar solo, but it’s the punchy bass that really makes this one work for me.  

Another of my favourite tracks off the album comes under the name of ‘Save Our Love’, another big bass filled song with Erlandsson giving his finest vocal so far and Malecek really bringing out the big licks for this one.

The album continues to impress as things continue with ‘Every Beat Of My Heart', another slice of pure Melodic gold before the album closes with the up beat ‘Rainbow Sky’, which rounds off what is a quite superb album.  The band plan to release a double album which will include a best of disc and a live disc prior to this new album, this scheduling of releases is sure to boost sales of this later release and visa versa, as people unfamiliar with the band will get a taste for one of the hottest Melodic Rock bands around.

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