DEGREED – Dead But Not Forgotten (2015)

Swedish melodic rockers DEGREED released one of the best albums of 2013 (their second) and now after a long songwriting process are back with a new CD entitled “Dead But Not Forgotten”.
Both previous Degreed records were critically acclaimed worldwide by media. Now the Swedes return with what is, easily, their best album to date, and are ready to conquer the Melodic Rock world with “Dead But Not Forgotten“.

The opening melodic line of “The Scam” put us immediately into the band’s world and it’s the perfect appetizer of what’s to follow next. This superb and extremely catchy melodic rocker grabs you at once and leaves you hungry for more.
Next, at “Face The Fact” the band is movin’ to some more modern melodic hard rock paths while in “Shame On Me” we have another killer commercial rocker with a huge chorus line to sing-a-long for days.

But there’s also a sharp edge to their music that bends them slightly to heavier hard rock. You’ll hear this within “Kill Your Darlings” or “Love Me, Love Me Not” although it doesn’t start that way. Additionally, there’s somewhat of modern tone mostly coming from the brisk sharp riffage, the synthesizer embellishment, and the vocal arrangements which have, to varying ‘degrees’, echoing and gang vocals.

We have American AOR influences on the great, ultra catchy feel-good melody of “Better Safe Than Sorry” (a highlight with a Harem Scarem feel), then check out the up-tempo melodic heaven of “Touch Of Paradise”, and the AOR atmospheres in “Start Again”.
There’s more fun on the racing “Firefly”, the pumping “Final Ride” and the commercial “Turn Around, Don’t Back Down”.

Someone once said that Degreed don’t sound like any other band. And he’s right.
“Dead But Not Forgotten” has various influences, but this is the ‘degreed sound’, at places similar to the previous albums but with a fresh delivery. The new record was produced by themselves, and seems they found their original own sound.
This is Melodic Rock for the new generation, as well as those of us who grew up on a diet of the ’80s style of the genre.

“Dead But Not Forgotten” is a great Melodic Rock album with AOR touches with a very modern sound, some kind of an evolution for the genre through engaging and entertaining finely composed songs.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

01. The Scam
02. Face The Fact
03. Madness
04. Shame On Me
05. Better Safe Than Sorry
06. Love Me, Love Me Not
07. Drama
08. Kill Your Darlings
09. Touch Of Paradise
10. Forgive You
11. Start Again
12. Firefly
13. Final Ride
14. Turn Around, Don’t Back Down

Robin Ericsson – Vocals, Bass
Daniel Johansson – Guitar
Mikael Jansson – Keyboards
Mats Ericsson – Drums

BUY IT !
www.amazon.co.uk/Dead-But-Not-Forgotten-Degreed/dp/B00XWVJ302
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