Stephen
New album and of course new spirit from this Finnish band. Packed with 80s sounding rhythm, FREE SPIRIT delivered a monstrous performance with an even better album than the previous. The first time I hit play, I was hooked instantly with 'Nights of Paradise'. Such a clever arrangement that will take you back to the glorious era of hair metal and I bet that classic drums pattern from the decade will stuck in your head for days.
'Living Tattoo' is kinda patchy but 'Hysteria' put them back on track. 'Ever Come True' is a step higher and I love that catchy chorus. 'The Dew of The Rose' also has the same quality but wait until you hear 'Turn On The Night'. Reminds me of the depressive 'Love Bites', the atmosphere of this song is unbelievably incredible. A very nice job and I think the tenth track, 'Silence', is also a very beautiful ballad.
The whole album is very consistent but I found the second half is overall better. 'Burning Love' is addictive and 'Carry On' is a flawless mid-paced tune, followed by the best track of the album, 'Fever'. Check out the AOR-flavor keyboard combined with a superb anthemic chorus, you just can't go wrong with this one.
Production is also very good, musicianship is strong and they have a very nice harmonic gang vocal, and replay value is definitely high. So far this is one of my fave albums of the year and I have a strong feeling it will still be in my top 10 later on. Great job and check out if you love classic DEF LEPPARD and melodic rock in general.