The Jolly Company – 10 Acts To Astound And Amaze (CD)

There has come quite a bunch of high-class progressive acts from the little country of ours such as ACT, Jono, Kharma, Add The Jolly Company to the list. “Hear The News” kicks off in the true pomp/prog mode with hints of bands like Klatuu, Queen, ACT, City Boy. “Paris Summer Love” certainly has some severe Queen overtones with multilayered harmony vocals from the extremely talented Göran Edman (Madison, Malmsteen, Kharma etc). The project was initiated (and written) by former Crossroad Jam/Backwood Spirit keyboardist Peter Emilsson. The line-up also features Peter’s former Crossroad Jam colleague Joje Lindskoog on drums, Jonathan Lindskoog also on drums, Stefan Jonsson on guitar, Niclas Boson on bass and Anneli Axelsson on backing vocals. If you’re into intricate, orchestrated, theatrical, melodic proggy pomp rock, this album is a MUST. The songs are top notch, the musicians brilliant and Göran’s vocals are really the icing on the cake. My only disappointment is in myself and that it took me so long to really listen to and review this masterpiece!

Janne Stark

Country: Sweden

Year: 2021

Label: Self-released

A.C.T – Circus Pandemonium (CD)

I will not deny it; A.C.T has been one of my all-time favorite melodic prog-bands ever since their debut found its way to my ears. The playfulness, quirky melodies, extremely tight and skillful musicianship and clever arrangements totally blew me away… album after album! It was a little worrying that the 2006 album was entitled “Silence”, and it was actually taken quite literally. It all went quiet after this. Promises and hints of a new album came and went. Now, FINALLY, the band has again resurfaced, and with this, I’m happy to say, releasing probably their best album to date. It’s still the same band, same sound and same quirky songs, but they have still evolved. It feels like they have become a bit heavier in the guitar department in some places, but they still mix this heaviness with Queen meets City Boy style pop melodies. I’m still amazed how a band can succeed in making such intricate and complicated songs sound so playful and easy accessible! There are so many elements to this album it’s just impossible to mention them all. It’s like the best of melodic prog rock assembled into one album and melted together into one nice slice of pie. This is a concept album. Well, honestly, when other bands make concept albums (except Rush) they more or less fall flat because they try too much and it just becomes too pretentious. Well, this is normal A.C.T territory, so no difference here, besides the songs link together nicely. It’s actually quite hard to hear when one song ends and another begins since they fit so perfectly together and because the songs in general have so many variations and tempo changes. It’s really no use getting into specific songs and song titles. I simply can’t pick any favorites. It’s all just one big beautiful organized mess! You’ve done it again, boys, better than ever!!

Janne Stark

Label: self-released/Marquee (Japan)

Year: 2014

Country: Sweden

Link: www.facebook.com/acttheband

HOUSE OF SHAKIRA - Pay To Play (CD)

This is a band I’ve followed since their early days under the name Station, we were even on the same labels twice. No, I’m not biased at all. This is a band that has been very consistent, always delivering high-class AOR/melodic rock albums through the years. Pay To Play very well continues that tradition. However, this time they have taken a slight turn towards a more classic hard rock at times, inviting us to share some good solid riffing as well, which is a nice touch. Up-tempo rocker “When The Cat’s Away” is a prime example, as well as “Dopamine Junkie”, which actually reminded me a bit of classic Thin Lizzy. “Tried And True” starts off with a very Schenker-sounding intro riff, but changes into a blues ballad, which was quite the surprise. “Dog Eat Dog” is another heavy rocker with a typical, cool House Of Shakira chorus. I also love the Queen-flirt in "Same Old Story". The band have always been about a cool, stripped down, almost analogue, production without any bells and whistles they can’t pull off live, which is also quite rare today. A sound I’ve always loved, and which they still maintain. All in all this actually turns out to be one of the strongest HoS albums to date, in my opinion. A perfect mix of melody and riffing, a great crispy mix, performed with excellence. I also must say Andreas Novac’s voice fits the band perfectly. The title and title track also says it all about how bands of their level have to deal with today's music business. If you think we are rock stars and make tons of money. Forget about it. It's mostly "pay to play" that is applied. Sad but true.

Janne Stark

Label: Melodic Rock Records

Year: 2013

Country: Sweden

Link: www.melodicrockrecords.com

SIXX: AM - This IS Gonna Hurt (CD)

Hmmm… this is actually quite good! Not that I didn’t enjoy the first effort by Crüe bass player Nikky Sixx band Sixx:AM, but this exceeded my expectations. Heavy, catchy and groovy! There are the obvious hits such as Are You With Me Now, a melodic pop-oriented heavy rocker in the true Daughtry/Breaking Benjamin-vein with a touch of Adam Lambert to it at times, soft modern ballads Sure Feels Right and Smile and the slightly U2:ish Oh My God (which unfortunately is not really any favourite of mine). As a nice contrast there are heavy crunchy stuff like Live Forever and Deadlihood, still melodic, but way heavier. Another cool, my favourite, track is Goodbye My Friends which sounds like the missing link between Queen and Green Day. It’s great to hear Sixx do something so different from the Crüe stuff, in a way proving he’s quite a diverse composer and actually a pretty good musician. DJ Ashba may sound like a second rate rapper, but he’s a pretty heavy guitar player, too. This band does glue well together and, yepp, they do rock when they put their minds to it!
Janne Stark
Country: USA
Label: Eleven Seven
Year: 2011