Europe and ex- Dokken guitar player John Norum needs no further introduction but I wonder how many out there actually know that Norum had quite a long solo career after he left Europe back in 1986. Most rock-fans know of – and have probably heard – his two first and easily his best albums Total Control (1987) and Face The Truth (1992). The quality of his albums dipped more and more by each release after those but the main reason they didn’t exactly set the world on fire was that Grunge had completely taken over by the mid 90’s and artists such as Norum were hopelessly out in the cold. He could have released the greatest album in the world and no one would have given a rat anyway.
I bought both Another Destination (1995) and Worlds Away (1996) but found them both uneven and when I heard Slipped Into Tomorrow (1999) and Optimus (2005) I gave up. I never bought neither of them. That said, his latest effort, 2010’s Play Yard Blues showed a surprisingly sparky and alert Norum with a whole bunch of really good tunes. To discuss his musical abilities is pointless – we all know he’s a shit-hot guitarist – and a really good singer too. Just like his last album, the new one comes out with Norum also a member of Europe so it’s not like his solo records are palpable for his career which in turn can make a solo record a more relaxed situation.
The album opens with the single “Voice Of Silence”, an upbeat Classic Rock number that has some crunchy and beefy guitars riffing away on a galloping rhythm. There’s a certain 70’s twitch to the song but also with one foot in the 80’s with a pre-1987 Whitesnake touch. There are touches of Europe here too especially the solo part. A strong main melody and a direct and catchy refrain takes the song for the win. This is some really good stuff. The leading single “Sail On” is one sludgy fekker. The doomy riff is dark and heavy and even though it’s a slower tune with more down-beat verses it’s still a kicker that lands somewhere between classic Hard Rock and Metal. It’s a decent number but unfortunately the chorus comes off as a bit grungy and goes nowhere.
Norum takes on some raunchy Led Zeppelin-esque riffing in the highly groovy Classic Rock stomping title-track. The Hammond work brings my mind to Deep Purple but also the sounds you hear on the later Europe albums. It brings on a juicy live feel and an organic atmosphere and while I really dig the verses, the chorus fails to lift the tune. An ok track though. Second single “One By One” has Wig Wam singer Åge-Sten Nilsen guesting. The song starts out with only acoustic guitars and vocals on a chunky groove before the band comes in and the highly catchy chorus shows up, a chorus that takes us back to the 80’s and holds an enormous pop-hook. This is a hit to these ears. This is splendid.
“What Do You Want” again takes a look back to the 70’s. It’s a steady and straight forward Classic Rock groover, punchy and edgy with a raunchy guitar and some inserted Thin Lizzy influences. Again, the live feel here is prominent with very distinct verses. The more held-back yet hard-hitting solo-part is masterful. However, once again I prefer the verses to the chorus as the chorus just don’t take off. It’s a pretty good song anyway. The cover of David Bowie’s “Lady Grinning Soul” starts out with a beautiful and sparse piano piece but then goes into a semi-ballad of sorts albeit with a groovy rhythm. There’s both a big 70’s Classic Rock vibe to it but also some 60’s melody-twists. I admit I’m not really familiar with the original but it’s safe to say that Norum has cut a really version of it. Well done.
Nilsen is back for the upbeat, heavy and straight forward hard-rocker “Norma”. It’s a punchy and edgy rocker with its feet deep in the Hard Rock of the early 80’s – raunchy, crushing yet melodic with distinct melodies. Nilsen is a magnificent singer who pulls this stuff off brilliantly. The chorus throws a sharp hook our way, making it catchy enough to stick right off the bat. Very good. On a darker note, “Calling” is one heavy puncher. It’s ballsy, muscular with a catchy main-riff, live-friendly rhythms and direct and distinct melodies. After a brief piano-led intro it turns into a rough Classic Rock stomper, groovy with a 70’s vibe and a slight touch of Rainbow. The main-melody is spot-on and the chorus is catchy as damn with an instants catchiness that even feels hit-laden. Very good.
Norum’s former singer Kelly Keeling (Baton Rouge, Blue Murder) makes his return when he shares lead vocals with Nilsen and Norum in the upbeat, punchy and direct “Terror Over Me”. It’s a straight ahead, driven rocker, simple yet hard-hitting with gritty guitars and a pounding rhythm-section and a real bang-on-target refrain. Very good. As a closer Norum revisits the title-track of his second solo album and on this record “Face The Truth” becomes a bluesy ballad. Here the song is more soulful, stripped back with acoustic guitars, sparse keyboards and at times a jazzy feel – and it works like a charm. With Norum on vocals – he sings it wonderfully – instead of Glenn Hughes and the new arrangement, it comes across as a whole new song and it sounds great.
As a whole, the album doesn’t cut it all the way and even though my 7/10 score here hangs on a thin thread, it’s still a really good album and to these ears, Norum’s finest work since 1992’s Face The Truth. Since Norum’s debut I have been very fond of his voice, even though I love when he brings in outside singers, and I think it’s held up very well and his playing is solid, of course. Actually I think he’s a way better player than he was back in the 80’s and 90’s which kinda speak volumes as he’s always been a stellar guitarist. For people into guitar-driven, heavy Classic Rock and Hard Rock, this album is very much worth checking out.
7/10
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Tracklist:
1. Voices Of Silence
2. Sail On
3. Gone To Stay
4. One By One
5. What Do You Want
6. Lady Grinning Soul
7. Norma
8. Calling
9. Terror Over Me
10. Face The Truth – Revisited
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