UMUR "Internal Affairs" is the debut full-length studio album by Swedish hard rock/AOR act The Night Flight Orchestra. The album was released through Coroner Records in June 2012. The Night Flight Orchestra was formed in 2007 by lead vocalist Björn "Speed" Strid and guitarist David Andersson while touring with Soilwork in North America. The project was born out of the love for 70s and early 80s classic rock/hard rock and AOR, and the two founders aimed at writing material in that style. They were later joined by bassist Sharlee D'Angelo (Arch Enemy, Spiritual Beggars, Mercyful Fate), keyboard player Richard Larsson (Von Benzo), and bassist Jonas Källsbäck (Mean Streak), to form a full quintet lineup.

The desire to write and play 70s/early 80s rock/AOR has been fullfilled, because listening to the material on "Internal Affairs" you are transported right back to that era and sound. The Night Flight Orchestra nail it, and artists like Kansas, Eagles, Boston, REO Speedwagon, and Supertramp definitely haven´t lived in vain (Journey, Foreigner, and Survivor should also be mentioned here). Big melodic hooks (the Swedish pop tradition of ABBA and the Eurovision contest should be mentioned as a minor influence here too), organic keyboards/synths/piano, a hard rocking rhythm section, and tasteful guitar riffs, themes, and harmonies are the backbone on which Strid performs his strong vocal melodies. I´ve always wondered how well Strid would be able to perform his clean vocals in another project, without the support of his snarling screams and growling, but he does not dissappoint and shows once again how skilled and unique sounding a vocalist he is.

"Internal Affairs" is a consistent quality release, but there are a couple of standout tracks deserving a mention. Album opener "Siberian Queen" sets the stage for what´s to come, but the sweetness and uplifting spirit of the next track "California Morning" is still a slight surprise. It´s a great strength of The Night Flight Orchestra that they can go from the hard rocking and melancholic mood of "Siberian Queen" to something like "California Morning" without even blinking. Both are among the highlights of the album. I´d mention two of the longer tracks of the album as highlights too in "West Ruth Ave" and the 8:22 minutes long album center piece "Transatlantic Blues". The former is such a powerful driving track, while the latter is probably the most intricately structured track on the album, even shortly touching progressive rock territories. "Transatlantic Blues" is also the only track on "Internal Affairs", which features anything resembling heavy metal, as it features a middle section with a heavy riff and rhythm, which is where my above mention of Kansas comes in, as the first two chords of that heavy riff strongly resemble the main riff on "Carry On Wayward Son".

"Internal Affairs" is a well produced affair, and the detailed, powerful, and organic sounding production job suits the material perfectly. So upon conclusion "Internal Affairs" is a high quality debut album by The Night Flight Orchestra. It´s loaded with sligthly cheesy tales of love, nostalgia, and melancholy, but always delivered with conviction and passion. It´s the sort of music which leaves you with a bittersweet feeling of the bygones of your first love, and nostalgia on how the world once was. A 4 - 4.5 star (85%) rating is deserved.

Kev Rowland Just a week after the band kicked off the tour to support ‘Aeromantic’ Covid hit, everyone got sick, and dates were cancelled. They soon realised the lockdowns were going to be there for a while but instead of sitting there feeling sorry for themselves the band went straight into writing mode to work on the follow-up. Given that both David Andersson and Björn Strid are also in Soilwork it must be hard to separate the two both artistically and in time, yet somehow, they manage it, and Strid in particular revels in this band as it allows him to approach elements musically which he would never get away with in his main band. Mind you, given that TNFO have been nominated for two Swedish grammies, can they really still be considered a side project, especially as they have now been around for 10 years, and this is their sixth album?

It is hard to describe exactly what TNFO, but it is solid Seventies with some American influences, music designed for large stadiums. What 10 CC might sound like if they hit everything harder perhaps? Björn is the focal point, with some wonderful female harmonies providing support, while the rest of the band rock on without ever getting too over the top. Unless one knew the background, one would never imagine that behind this are some solid metalheads, as there is never any threat of the band taking anything too far in a metallic direction, but rather this is about solid performances with great hooks and guitars that are never too far away. “You Belong To The Night” even contains a heavy dose of disco! There is no doubt that yet again we have a collection of radio-friendly songs which are enjoyable the very first time they are played, and anyone into Seventies style commercial rock would do well to seek this out.