CODE RED – Incendiary (2017)
New Swedish outfit CODE RED and their pure AOR are fantastic. The band’s debut via AOR Heaven Records titled “Incendiary” is a true treat for lovers of keyboard-driven sounds full of melody, truly inspired in the glorious ’80s.
Frontman Ulrick Lönnquist (SAHARA) and Morgan Jensen (SWEDISH EROTICA) on guitar as well as Michael Palace (PALACE) on bass, and Daniel Flores (JIM JIDHED, FIND ME) on drums (who also produced the record), indeed have created a mighty set of ‘incendiary’ fireworks.
‘I Won’t Be Your Hero’, the opening track, confused me in the first few bars of its techno / modern keyboard & beat but it rapidly introduces the melodious vocals of Lönnqvist and has some great guitar riffage going on in the background. The hook is huge, and this cut is easily among my favourites on the album.
Then it comes ‘Heat Of The Night’…. a song like this should be enough to purchase this album: this is true, killer keyboard driven ’80s AOR with that kind of action-movie feel we all love.
Code Red are the real thing, and speaking about classy AOR, these guys deliver it in spades.
“Incendiary” is inspired as whole by the American tradition of the genre with Foreigner / Journey in mind, but also the new wave of Scandinavian style.
The skilled Daniel Flores has put all his experience (Find Me, The Murder of My Sweet, Jim Jidhed, First Signal) at the production desk, handling the drums on the record as well.
For instance songs like ‘Saving Grace’, ‘Returning The Flame’, ‘My Hollywood Ending’ immediately find their way into your ear canals and refuse to ever leave again. You know, that kind of Melodic Rock AOR that gets like an earworm.
Musicianship is very polished with a superb balance between each individual instrument, then the vocals sit on the top of the mix which makes it very easy to listen to the lyrics and backing vocals. Lönnqvist has owns flexible vocal range, at places reminiscent of Hugo (Journey, Valentine).
With their debut “Incendiary”, Code Red delivers one of the strongest AOR albums of the year, 10 hook-line monsters making every fan of the genre constantly smile all over its 46 minutes.
HIGHLY Recommended
01. I Won’t Be Your Hero
02. Heat Of The Night
03. Lift Me Up
04. My Hollywood Ending
05. Saving Grace
06. Eternal Pretender
07. Like I Remember You
08. Forever And A Day
09. Returning The Flame
10. Are You Leaving Now
Ulrick Lönnqvist – Lead and backing vocals, Acoustic guitars
Morgan Jensen – Electric guitars (Swedish Erotica)
Oscar Bromvall – Lead guitars (Palace, Erika)
Michael Palace – Bass and backing vocals (Palace)
Kaspar Dahlqvist – Keyboards (Shadowquest, Dionysus)
Daniel Flores – Drums (The Murder Of My Sweet, Find Me)
PRE ORDER:
www.aorheaven.com/index.php/german_b/code-red-incendiary.html
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