What in 2019 started out as a project, like some kind of Swedish Phenomena/Avantasia thing has now turned into a band. Well, almost anyway. I’m not sure if it was supposed to be a one-off but the fact is that the debut First Mission (2019) was a big success and therefore a follow-up was called for. As main song writer, Saffire guitarist and song writer Victor Olsson was called in and boy has he done a magnificent job. Not only does he write for his main band, which recently released a killer record, he’s now into his third effort with GoK as the follow-up Discovery (2022) was easily as good – if not better – than the debut.
With a whole bunch of singers involved – Jonny Lindkvist (Nocturnal Rites, Impera), Rick Altzi (Masterplan), Alexander Frisborg, Apollo Papathanasio (Firewind, Spiritual Beggars), Tobias Jansson (Saffire) – it’s of course hard make a project like this sound like a real band but for some reason GoK has managed to do just that on their previous records. Style-wise, GoK is way more AOR oriented than Olsson’s more 70’s Classic Hard Rock smelling day-job but no matter what the guy writes, it comes out terrific which in turn brings on some expectations of majestic proportions and it might be a bit unfair but anything but a real killer this third time will feel like a disappointment.
Opening intro “Galacticus” blends some synth lines with a marching beat of sorts which takes us into the real opener “Vagabond Rise” and this 80’s sounding AOR stomper makes you feel at home right away. More of a Metal singer, Jonny Lindkvist has no problem nailing this poppy tune at all. The melodies sweeps you away and the hooks grabs you from go. Sure, it’s glossy but it also holds a personal touch with a magnificent chorus so catchy it hurts. Awesome. “Here Be Monsters” mixes classic Hard Rock with smooth AOR with some crispy riffs, a solid stomp with the silky keyboards and slick melody-lines on top. Alexander Frisborg usually takes the slicker tunes in GoK but he proves he’s a solid singer and can manage the raunchier pieces just as well. Great.
Apollo Papathanasio takes the mike for the upbeat pop-rocking “Firefly”, something he does splendidly. The clean-cut vocal melodies and the big, smooth keyboards marries fine with the crunchy, crispy guitars and the chunky bass-lines. The song lies on the threshold between AOR and Melodic Rock and every melody is infectious with a hook deluxe chorus as the crown on the song’s head. Terrific. Going for a more 70’s Classic Rock vibe with some Celtic influences, “How The Mighty Have Fallen” also brings on an 80’s sounding keyboard and a massive chorus that hits where it should without going for a hit-search. Rick Altzi’s raspy voice fits the song like a glove. Great.
Lindkvist returns for the held-back and quite glossy ballad “A Rainbow And A Star”. At times the tune moves towards late 80’s power balladry without going sugar-rush on us at all. It’s an easily embraced number inside a colorful soundscape, a bit on the bombastic side with affable melodies and a huge, contagious chorus with a hook to die for. Brilliant. Tobias Jansson makes his first appearance in “The Prophecy”, an uptempo rocker with in-your-face melodies where AOR rubs shoulders with some classic Hard Rock. Crunchy guitars and smooth keyboards shares space equally and the rhythm section is beefy with a stellar groove with some direct vocal-melodies and another killer chorus. So this is how Saffire would sound if they moved into AOR territories. Great.
The Swedish pop-trio One More Time might not mean all that much outside of Sweden but here they were huge back in the 90’s. Lindkvist is joined by One More Time’s female singers Nanne Grönvall and Maria Rådsten – and the three of them brings on a great dynamic – and OMT’s Peter Grönvall throws in a good keyboard solo in the upbeat and uptempo pop-rocker and single “Feed You My Love”, a quite slick number that throws in some melodies reminiscent of ABBA as well as some raunchy Hard Rock guitars on a fat rhythm. It’s more or less impossible not to surrender to the infectious melodies and the majestic refrain. Also, the female voices is a a breath of fresh air and creates a whole other dynamic. More of that please. Awesome tune!
Apollo’s the voice again, this time for “Clone Trooper”, an upbeat and steady grooved AOR-rock number with plain Pop verses. It’s a pretty straight ahead and distinct number with a memorable enough main melody and even though the chorus is somewhat catchy, the song never really takes off. It’s ok though. “Long Kiss Goodnight” on the other is phenomenal. It’s quite slick but it also holds a tough rhythm and edgy Hard Rock guitars and it comes across as a more AOR version of Saffire with Altzi on vocals. The chorus is superb. Jansson holds the vocals for the amazing “New Life”, a huge AOR anthem with some prominent bass work, big 80’s keyboards and a hooky guitar-line. It’s on the verge of too glossy and it’s a bit sugar coated but it’s also enormously catchy and embracing and the chorus is simply magnetic. A hit, in my book.
Frisborg is back for the sticky sweet yet groove-happy pop-rocker “Lionheart”, an AOR stomper that could have gone far in a contest like ESC. The keyboards are slick, the vocals are grandiose and the hooks are everywhere and on top a sublime refrain that’s unescapable and impossible not to surrender to. I usually find songs like this a bit too soft and syrupy but this one captivated me from go. Terrific. For vinyl-only folks, this is the end of the album but if you get the CD you also get “Fool’s Cabaret”, sung by Apollo and Jansson. It’s an upbeat number in a mid tempo that both rocks and brings on slick AOR melodies. It dwells in a large soundscape, the melodies are big, the hooks are many, it’s uplifting and colorful and the chorus is almost annoyingly catchy. Very good indeed.
As a whole, if you’re into the two previous records, this one’s a no-brainer and if you haven’t been acquainted with GoK it’s bloody time now because with this record GoK has served us a third portion of tasty AOR/Melodic Rock with brilliant singers and musicians where both song structure and production – signed by Thomas “Plec” Johansson – holds a personal touch. Sometimes AOR is just AOR but not in GoK’s world. This is their AOR. Again, Victor Olsson’s input here must be hailed once more – he has since 2013 written or co-written no less than seven albums without delivering one bad song. Impressive. I tip my hat to everyone involved here. Great job and thank you for the music!
8/10
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Tracklist:
1. Galacticus
2. Vagabond Rise
3. Here Be Dragons
4. Firefly
5. How The Mighty Have Fallen
6. A Rainbow And A Star
7. The Prophecy
8. Feed You My Love
9. Clone Trooper
10. Long Kiss Goodnight
11. New Life
12. Lionheart
13. Fool’s Cabaret
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