There was some big talk about the then new AOR outfit Creye back in 2018 when they released their debut self-titled album. Wherever I looked fans in that genre were going bananas over the Swedes and it wasn’t exactly hard to become highly interested in the band. For me personally, the hype din’t really keep that promise. The album was good and well-produced but unfortunately it sounded like most of the contemporary Scandinavian (mostly Swedish, actually) AOR bands and even though I enjoyed listening, the music didn’t really linger. A step up was the follow-up II (2021) but that album suffered from the same thing. Much too my surprise, Creye released a live video from a studio and I had a hard time believing this was the same band that had released those records.
The video showed a vital band with a massive groove, progressive elements and a sound that sure had its AORisms but sounded edgier with a crunchy live-sound and a band that had found their identity, that DID NOT sound like every thirteen-a-dozen Scandi-AOR band. To say that I was both surprised and impressed is an understatement. This was a band I really, really wanted to catch live. Now with the release of their third effort expectations are rising here solely because of said live-video. If the band can sound this great live surely that must have infected their song-writing and their arrangements, right?
Opener “Glorious” kicks things into motion and it sets the bar real high. It’s a crunch-riffed AOR rocker in uptempo with a juicy stomp and a live-friendly groove. The big riff brings on a bigger Hard Rock feel and even though it brings on some 80’s smelling melodies it’s really built upon AOR of the 70’s and Toto’s early stuff comes to mind. It’s a hooky piece, a bit slick but sugar-free with a contagious refrain. Great stuff. Leading single “Air” holds a subtle start, quite laid-back with a delicate keyboard before the verses while it takes on a crunchier vibe with a chunkier stomp and a striking guitar. There are two faces to the song – fluffy and slick at times and chuggy and rocky at others. The chorus is magnificent. A killer track.
On a pop-laden vibe, latest single “One Step Away” still holds a chunky rhythm and some riffy and crunchy tuned down guitars. The vocal-lines is a bit held-back in the verses but rises into a higher range when it’s time for the chorus. The heavier guitars and the smoother keyboard work makes for some dynamic contrasts which gives the song character. The chorus is a monster, highly addictive and should’ve resulted in a big hit for the band. Magnificent. In a slower pace yet rhythmic upbeat, “The Game” is a smooth AOR tune with a slick outlook and a mellow melancholy. Right on the threshold of a ballad the tune holds an underlying darkness yet with a strong and powerful main melody and the chorus is massively catchy. Very good.
Second single “Spreading Fire” might just be the heaviest song Creye ever made. On a beefy rhythm with a thunderous drum pattern there’s an edgy riff that brings 80’s Metal to mind with its chuggy and powerhouse structure. The melody- arrangements might come from more melodic, AOR-laden neighbourhoods and the catchiness is right in your face but it’s all built on classic Hard Rock with a good punch. Apart from the heaviness it comes across as H.E.A.T, Treat and Eclipse in a blender, upbeat and rocking with a distinct main-melody and another splendid refrain that sticks right from go. Awesome.
More crunchy guitars comes our way in the title-track, an upbeat and rhythmic number where the big keyboards brings on an almost proggy vibe. There’s a dynamic contrast between the gritty guitars and the smoother, AOR-laden vocal melodies and this Hard Rock meets Melodic Rock suits the band real well. The mighty refrain brings Finish rockers One Desire to mind – very catchy and distinct. I dig this. Going back to 80’s poppy AOR-fueled Arena Rock, “How Far” holds some down-beat and soothing melodies but the chorus in all its pink n’ fluffiness is sweet and slick. It’s an ok track, catchy enough but a bit too Scandi-AOR sounding and sugary glossy.
With a raunchy riff slightly borrowed from Ozzy’s “Bark At The Moon”, “In The Shadows” comes crashing down on a beefy and poundy rhythm and a straight forward, classic 80’s Hard Rock vibe. It’s a live-friendly rocker with a slight nod to the heydays of Dokken yet with a Melodic Rock tinted melody arrangement and a distinct and infectious refrain that takes the song for a home-run. Splendid. Starting out with a keyboard and vocals the mellow and quite low-key ballad “Stay” brings out some saddening melancholy at first. But with some orchestration and the band joining in the song goes into a grandiose soundscape with a pompy outlook and power ballad flirting vocal melodies that’s catchy as hell yet also emotional. This is superb stuff.
Back to upbeat and bouncy AOR-rock with chunky guitars and big keyboards “Dangerous” (an overused title to say the least) throws in some groovy bass-lines, a Toto influence in the main main melody, 80’s Def Leppard and Bon Jovi flirts on a beat that’s actually danceable and slick yet live-friendly hooks. The H.E.A.T-like chorus is phenomenal and sticks like glue. Great. The album closes with the upbeat and uptempo AOR-rocker “Pieces”, a song that blends smooth and slick 80’s keyboards with chunky and driven guitars over a backbone of stompy and solid rhythmic beats. It’s a glossy AOR piece for sure but it still rocks and the chorus is simply terrific. Great stuff.
They say that three times a charm and when it comes to Creye, I surely second that. They’re still very much an AOR band but here it really feels like the stars have aligned and that the band has found the missing piece of the two first efforts. The songs are great all the way through, the members’ musical performances are all spot on with a brilliant lead singer in August Rauer and the production is clean yet with a spice of grit. Also, the songs groove, they’re alive and breathing and with the more guitar-driven, Hard Rock structure the band has found a way to stand out from the rest of the Scandinavian AOR bunch. Speaking of which, they have gone back to late 70’s/early 80’s AOR that they blend masterfully with 80’s slickness which works like a charm. Hats off!
8/10
More Creye reviews:
Tracklist:
1. Glorious
2. Air
3. One Step Away
4. The Game
5. Spreading Fire
6. Weightless
7. How Far
8. In The Shadows
9. Stay
10. Dangerous
11. Pieces
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