Artist:  On The Rise
   Title: Dream Zone
   Label: Frontiers Records

Well it's come round again time to pick my favourite release for the month of December and from the available albums I have to say that On The Rise have produced the goods.

The band is the brainchild of Norway’s Terje Eide, who provides lead vocals and guitars and some bass for the band along with Terje the band are Erik Engebretsen on drums, Christian Wolff on keyboards, bass (tracks 1, 2, 7, 10 & 12), lead guitars (tracks 2 & 10) and even acoustic guitars (track10), plus Eric Ragno on keyboards (tracks 1, 3, 4 & 11). 

This is an album that will melt the hearts of all the Melodic Rock fans out there as it has a certain grace about it.  Mixing both the modern elements that the scene needs to keep it alive and the traditional elements that made the genre what is was back in it's hey day.  Opening up in style with ‘Life Line’, a mid tempo rocker that sets the standard for the rest of the album, with Terje showing his vocal skill off from the beginning as well as his guitar skills.

This great melody filled album continues to impress with ‘Lost Your Track’, a more guitar filled song that still keeps the quality in line with the opener but with a touch more edge.  It's melody all the way with the superb title track ‘Dream Zone’ before the tempo, but the not the quality, is brought down a touch with the ballad ‘Edellyn’, a true class act this one.  Eide shows that he can bring it down vocally where needed and with the gentle keyboards of Eric Ragno bringing that little extra to proceedings.

The tempo is picked up again big style with one of my favourites off the album with ‘Alive’, a real meaty bass line keeps this on going.  The pace is kept going with the guitar rich sounds of ‘In the Line Of Fire’ and the rockin’ 'Get Out Of Here’ and ‘Fly Away.

‘No Time To Lose’ is straight out of the eighties top drawer of Melodic Rock, then it's my personal favourite off the album ‘Wait Another Day’.  A great track that pushes the envelope of the modern Melodic Rock vibe.

If you like your guitar fuelled moments then ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ is the one for you.  Big licks wrapped around Eide’s superb vocals, then it's back to the mellow moment of the album with another ballad ‘Howling At The Moon’, before the album closes with the bonus track ‘Find A Way’.  Again this is straight up Melodic Rock, which rounds up a great album that once again shows there is still life left in this genre and let's hope it continues well into 2010.  

 

Tracklisting:

01.  Lifeline 
02.  Lost Your Track
03.  Dream Zone 
04.  Edellyn 
05.  Alive 
06.  In The Line Of Fire
07. Get Out Of Here
08. Fly Away
09. No Time To Lose
10. Why Wait Another Day 
11. Why Wait Another Day
12. Howling At The Moon
13. Find A Way (Bonus track)  

 

                   

 

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