After two brilliant records, Swedish melodic Rock/AOR rockers Wildness finally wound up at the Frontiers label. Both records were successful enough and contained melodic Hard Rock of the finest brand – and not only that, the band proved to sport their own style and identity which isn’t all that usual when it comes to modern Scandi AOR bands these days. The new album is the second album featuring ex Blazon Stone singer Erik Forsberg who joined drummer Erik Modin, guitarists Pontus Sköld and Adam Holmström and bassist Martin Sjölund when original singer Gabriel Lindmark jumped ship. With two successful albums out, this time the band really has something to prove, both to themselves, us fans and their new label.
They kick off the album with the latest single “Nightmare”, an upbeat, uptempo Melodic Rock kicker that blends a Hard Rock foundation with a smoother soundscape. Beefy guitars rubs shoulder with slick, 80’s keyboards and a solid, striking drive. The song structure goes back to 80’s Hard Rock but with an updated sound and as a song it’s memorable with a chorus that holds a hit-hook sharp as damn. The album really couldn’t have started any better. On a way heavier note, “Release The Beast” comes out fast-tracked, kicking and screaming, fueled with metal-riffage, a hard-punching rhythm section. The lean keyboard smoothen things out some without taking any edge off. It’s a raging rocker, perfect as a live-opener – maybe it should have opened the album – but with distinct melodies and a robust yet catchy refrain. Great stuff.
First single “Tragedy” is a classic Hard Rock track at the bottom but spiced with Melodic Rock melodies and some smooth keyboards. It’s rhythmically straight forward and concise with a bouncy and solid rhythm-section with an edgy guitar sound. At times I get a Crazy Lixx vibe from it albeit with vocal-melody arrangements that’s Wildness all the way through. It’s catchy, riffy and memorable with a chorus hook that penetrates the brain right off the bat. Great stuff indeed. “Love Resurrection” is a mid paced rocker with a main riff that reminds me of Tyketto. The tune brings on a juicy groove on a solid foundation, it’s guitar driven yet quite smooth where especially the chorus is infectious and distinct. Good stuff.
“Best Of Me” starts out with an 80’s sounding blipping, fluttering synth in full glossy prime but a raunchy guitar comes in and brings an edge to the glossiness with a punchy drum-beat to carry the tune. The song is all 80’s pop-metal, slick and clean with languishing vocal melodies and an over-all smooth soundscape. The verses are on the laid-back side with prominent keyboards whereas the chorus is crunchier with a direct catchiness. Very good. “The Final Fantasy” continues the glossy AOR path of the previous song. The bottom is on the threshold of heavier moments with its edgy guitar and pounding rhythm section but every melody is slick, 80’s AOR and a radio-friendly outlook in the big chorus. I dig this!
The soft-spoken pop-ballad “Lonely Girl” brings my mind to Foreigner around 1985 with a rhythmic flow in the vein of Whitesnake’s “Is This Love”. It’s a mellow and smooth AOR tune with sticky melodies that grabs a hold no matter if you want them to or not. The whole tune is one big hook with a refrain made of super-glue. It’s a good tune but this one just might overdose on sugar a bit. A semi-ballad, “The One And Only” blends some slick and clean AOR with a blues-infected classic Whitesnake shuffle-groove. It’s a slow burner on a solid foundation and a chunky guitar blended with a slick keyboard and an easily embraced main-melody and a chorus so catchy it hurts. Smells like a hit in my book. Great.
Robert Tepper’s riff from “No Easy Way Out” is respectfully borrowed to “Fading Sun”, a quite smooth and colorful number with a fat, chunky rhythm-section and a held-back guitar where the keyboards hold a prominent position. It’s an embracing tune with soothing and airy melodies, upbeat yet held-back and another chorus-hook that’s impossible to escape. Good one. “Dawn Of Forever” is a low-key and mellow ballad where acoustic guitars rubs shoulder with clean electric ones. Scorpions, Whitesnake and late 80’s Y&T comes to mind here. The song comes with an emotional atmosphere and a deeper flow and is more a powerful ballad than an actual power ballad. This is awesome.
Wildness closes the record with the epic “Eternity Will Never Fall”, a punchy and edgy rocker, quite powerful and a bit dark with some crunchy metal-tinged riffing and a ballsy rhythm. There’s a slight trace of Magnum involved with some folky inserts that takes my mind towards Thin Lizzy and/or Dare. The big keyboards smoothen the edges off a bit, though but it’s nothing that makes the song any less good. It’s a Metal flirting Melodic Rock tune full of fire and vigour, melody and muscle with a chorus that bathes in a plethora of hooks. Brilliant.
With the band’s so important third album Wildness once again proves that they’re a force to be reckoned with and holds a real bright future. The new album is at one side heavier, beefier and more Hard Rock laden than before but on the other side it’s also more glossy, slick and more 80’s AOR laden with a larger use of keyboards, now to the point where they just might should consider a permanent keyboard player as the keys are just as prominent as the other instruments. Song-wise, the album isn’t as direct as on the two previous records and might need a couple of spins more to stick but when it sticks it damn well sticks. Their brand of Hard Rock might not be hip and million-selling in this day and age but Wildness is such a magnificent act, as a live band as well, that a large audience really should be easily attracted. Well done. Again.
8/10
More Wildness reviews:
Tracklist:
1. Nightmare
2. Release The Beast
3. Tragedy
4. Love Resurrection
5. Best Of Me
6. The Final Fantasy
7. Lonely Girl
8. The One And Only
9. Fading Sun
10. Dawn Of Forever
11. Eternity Will Never Fall
CD & Festival reviews 