Artist: Allen, Russell & Lande, Jorn
Label: Frontiers Records
Released: 2007
After the success of their debut “The Battle” (2005), it’s more than obvious that you strike while the iron is hot! Following in the footsteps of old hands Joe Lynn Turner and Glenn Hughes and their Hughes Turner Project (2000 – 2003), two of the most impressive vocalists of the younger generation are now joining forces: Jorn Lande, who has lately focused on his solo career with Jorn, and who has also been a member of plenty of bands, from The Snakes, Masterplan, Ark, Brazen Abbot, Beyond Twilight,… and Russell Allen, otherwise the frontman of the excellent progressive metallers Symphony X. They pool their strengths relentlessly, with full-on intensity, and above all in a way that gives the new album even more than what the debut “The Battle” offered us.
In the studio the two were surrounded by tried-and-tested names. First on the list is definitely the go-to guy Magnus Karlsson, a man involved in a heap of projects and bands, so it’s a real miracle he can find any time at all for Lande and Allen. Magnus is the guitarist, bassist, keyboardist and, on top of all that, the producer of “The Revenge”. Most of the material is his baby. Allen and Lande are the executioners, and Magnus masterfully puts the melodies in their mouths. Karlsson’s overwhelming creative input is flagged right from the first track, the title song, and its keyboard intro. Typical Karlsson. For a first bonus comparison, check out the latest studio solo album “Escape Into The Sun” (2006) by former Praying Manits singer Tony O’Hora, where Karlsson is also “kicking” it, and everything will be clear right away. Magnus Karlsson is a Swede, raised in the spirit of the true Scandinavian school of guitar playing. It’s marked by perfection, clean and precise playing, and absolute devotion to melody and classicism. Something that Lande’s and Allen’s vocal approaches literally demand. Karlsson can recently boast the release of an excellent album by Starbreaker (“Starbreaker”, 2005), with Tony Harnell (ex-TNT) on vocals – a record worth every sin! Behind the drums, as on the debut “The Battle”, sits Jamie Salazar, a member of the Scandinavian prog rock revivalists The Flower Kings.
So, a superb lineup. The music on “The Revenge” is also a must for fans of top-quality melodic hard rock, and power metal fans will take to it too. Compared to the debut, which was a “feeling around in the dark” and in places heavily steeped in clichés despite the impressive execution these guys managed to pull off even then, “The Revenge” is its darker brother, offering more tragedy and drama and with them juicier excitement. Along with the naturally high pomp and anthemic choruses, this means above all fewer “cheerful” major-key melodies than on its predecessor, and as a result the mood itself is even closer to tragedy, glinting menacingly in the moonlight above you like the sharp blade of a guillotine. And tragedy is the blood of hard rock and heavy metal!
To be honest, I expected a copy of the debut and not a single step forward, but the thing is really delivered on a more convincing level. The upgrade is especially obvious in the happily stronger presence of keyboards, which steers the album closer to the melodic hard rock camp, compared to its predecessor with its heavier dose of power metal patterns, which you got sick of quickly. That kind of hard rock fits perfectly with the color of both warm and sentimental voices, masterfully delivered by their owners Lande and Allen, who are traditionally a guarantee of perfection. Since the partnership with Karlsson obviously works great, I can say flat out that both singers’ ranges are used to the max. The two are the prime creators of the album’s dynamics, if only because of the differences in their voices, and they often attack the album with joint vocal harmonies that are a real balm for the ears. Woven into this basic fabric of the music are first-rate guitar solos, and Karlsson didn’t forget to add a bit more sophistication with acoustic passages (Just A Dream), while also masterfully adding keyboards (piano, synthesizer), which guarantee high atmosphere.
“The Revenge” is an album that came together fast, and there’s no fear of it being “sloppy” – it defies that with the greatest of ease, because on the artistic and creative side it’s still incredibly fresh, loaded with a voluminous, full sound of exuberantly rich depth, and with the sensuality of both vocals maximally emphasized and expressive. Lande and Allen are not “shrill, whiny crybabies” (a bonus note for the uninformed)!!! Of course, the album doesn’t bring anything new. But the guys in the studio know how to show some balls in the realms of hard rock, and the vibe launched onto this disc shakes your pants and sends shivers down your spine, absolutely boundless. And that confirms that this thing is the real deal from head to toe. Highly recommended! It offers easy listening and the crackle of high-voltage electrons jumping between your left and right eardrum! True hard rockers, fans of the classic elements of heavy metal, wake up!
Lineup
Jorn Lande – vocals
Russell Allen – vocals
Magnus Karlsson – guitar, bass, keyboards
Jaime Salazar – drums
Production
Magnus Karlsson
Track list
1. Revenge
2. Obsessed
3. Victory
4. Master Of Sorrow
5. Will You Follow
6. Just A Dream
7. Her Spell
8. Gone Too Far
9. Wake Up Call
10. Under The Waves
11. Who Can You Trust
12. When Time Doesn’t Heal
Running time: 63.33
