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Artist: Spin Gallery |
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In the world of Melodic Rock
you sit up and take notice when the likes of Tommy Denander, Robin Beck
and Dan Reed are mentioned, but when they're mentioned in the same
breath and appearing on the same album, then you'd better sit up and
take notice, because you know what is to come is going to be something
rather special. Now in Spin Gallery these three massive names in
the genre, along with Kristoffer Lagerstrom, Glen Marks and Marika
Willstedt, have put together a great Melodic Rock album in 'Embrace'.
The album is true blue Melodic Rock which brings into play all the trademark attributes that make the genre what it is. In Lagerstrom, the main vocalist on the album, we have a grace and harmony that will send waves throughout the diehard fans of the genre and in Beck and Reed, well you get only the best this pair can give. The album opens up with the title track ‘Embrace’ and instantly you're thrown in the genre feet first with Lagerstrom making his mark from the off and with the six string wizardry of Denader not far behind, this song sets you up for the rest of the album very nicely indeed. Things continue along the gentle Melodic Path with a great slice of pure melody in ‘Stone By Stone’ before the first guest vocalist, Robin Beck, shows why she remains one of the finest female vocalists in the genre today on the excellent ‘Just A Momentary Why’. It's back to Lagerstrom for ‘Brilliance Of The Drugs’, a haunting vocal from the man that just oozes pure class, while a solid back beat keeps time. This one reminds me of those classics songs of the eighties from the likes of TOTO and Mr Mister. Before we get all nostalgic for a bygone era ‘Eyes Wide Open’ burst into life and is a much more modern poppy slice of Rock, followed quickly by ‘Blood In My Veins’, which is a top drawer modern ballad. The second guest vocalist steps up to the mic in the shape of Dan Reed, who adds a more modern rock edge to proceedings, on a track that is in fact my favourite track off the album. ‘You Do The Things You Do’ is a duet with Lagerstrom and is just superb. We're back to the old school sounding of that bygone era once more with ‘Indulge’ and ‘Without Love’, both definitely have that eighties feel about them and you wouldn’t be surprised to hear them on soundtrack from any eighties pop culture film of that time. Maybe a Mannequin or a Ferris Beulas Day Off type cult teen film. As the album continues
its melodic path with ‘Tic Toc’ and 'Everything Fades’, there is
more than an air of nostalgia about this album and it seems to have
missed out some twenty years of over hyped rock music that almost killed
this genre off and embraces the listener, reminding us of when talent
spoke a thousand words and making music was seen as industry and not a
way of printing money from two minute wonders who wouldn’t know a tune
if it smacked them in the face. So if you're up for a touch of old
school Melodic Rock then go no further than this album and 'Embrace' it
and hold it close to your chest like a long lost friend you haven’t
seen for some twenty five years. |
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Tracklisting:
01.
Embrace |
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