DYNAZTY – Sultans Of Sin (2012)
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Sweden is single-handedly carrying the torch of ’80s Hard & Melodic Rock, and DYNAZTY are no exception as they return with “Sultans Of Sin”, the band’s third consecutive album and the first to feature new guitarist Mike Laver.
Right from the beginning chugging riff of “Come Alive”, you know what kind of album this will shape out to be; a true Hard Rock outing, paying dear homage to the flawless 1980’s.
The bumping verses and energetic chorus of the opening track get things moving in a fine manner and are followed by “Raise Your Hands”, which may be the weakest song on the disc because the main riff has been used to death over the past decade. That is not to say “Raise Your Hands” is bad by any means, but it is just not a worthy follow-up to the powerful knock-out punch of the opening track.
The first single, “Land Of Broken Dreams”, picks up the ground lost and I could tell from the first note that this was defiantly the right choice for a single. The song has great hooks, a driving chorus and gang vocals which would play great in a live setting for sure.
A power ballad in the form of “Falling” follows and is one of my favorite tracks on the album. This superb midtempo tune is like the lost gem of a track Whitesnake wish they could still write.
It should be noted that thus far into Sultans Of Sin the band has been performing flawlessly in a true ’80s fashion, but Nils Molin should receive most of the credit due to his fantastic delivery on lead vocals. He truly sounds like David Coverdale’s long lost son, and that is a big compliment.
The next three tracks, “More Than A Man”, “Love Junkie” and “The One To Blame” are all perfect examples of hard driving rock songs played with a definitive amount of catchiness to please all rockers out there.
And it is at this point in the album that we come upon the first real acoustic ballad. Even though electric guitars do eventually rip through the track mid-way, “Back Again” is undeniably the romantic ballad that all the bands in this genre worth their salt crave.
“Bastards Of Rock & Roll” and the title track wrap the album up in a great way. Perhaps the strongest songs of the disc, they exemplify Dynazty’s ability to bring on the table the classic eighties with a modern and updated sound. The title track “Sultans Of Sin” is, in fact, a highlight, with its extremely heavy main riff and Molin’s screeching vocals.
With “Sultans Of Sin”, I can safely say that Dynazty can now be mentioned alongside other major Scandinavian Melodic Hard Rock acts such as H.E.A.T, Crazy Lixx or Treat.
It’s a meaty, rockin’ and melodic CD, full of power and catchiness, with solid song structures, hot guitar licks and massive eighties-like choruses. Don’t worry about vocals because you have a very capable and charismatic lead vocalist in Nils Molin, one of the best singers of the new Swedish generation.
“Sultans Of Sin” may easily rank as one of the greatest 2012 Melodic Hard Rock albums. Definitely a highly recommended listening.
01 – Come Alive
02 – Raise Your Hands
03 – Land Of Broken Dreams
04 – Falling
05 – More Than A Man
06 – Love Junkie
07 – The One To Blame
08 – Back Again
09 – Bastards Of Rock ‘N’ Roll
10 – Sultans Of Sin
Nils Molin – vocals
Rob Love Magnusson – guitar
Mike Laver – guitar
Joel Fox Apelgren – bass
George Egg – drums
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www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8709391
