CAPTAIN BLACK BEARD – Struck By Lightning (2018)
In the last two years CAPTAIN BLACK BEARD released an album, toured with Joe Lynn Turner, Robin Beck, House Of Lords and performed at the festival Hard Rock Hell AOR for the second time in their career. Not bad for the melodic rock Swedish band, and now are releasing their new CD “Struck By Lightning“, their first on MelodicRock Records.
This is a new chapter in Captain Black Beard’s career: there’s a new singer in Liv Hansson (it’s a big change from male to female vocalist), and Jona Tee (H.E.A.T.) has helped to update the band’s sound to more modern Melodic Rock outfit.
Indeed the band, while still influenced by the ’80s, sounds much more 21st century on “Struck By Lightning”, bright and pumping.
Opener “All the Pain” starts with a lovely ’80s synth / keyboard arrangements to remind you “we still are influenced by 80s AOR”, but soon the song gets muscular, rocking, and Liv Hansson’s powerful pipes arrive. A winner.
We find punchy straightforward melodic rockers in “Dead end Street” (akin Dante Fox), the anthemic “Nobody like You” and title track “Struck by Lightning”, the latter with some hard rock groove on it.
For a pure melodic rock tune in midtempo mode and where you can hear Jona Tee’s hand, check out “Believer”. Then “Picture Life” sounds like a mix between classic ’80s AOR and modern melodic rock (including some electronics) to delivers something different.
I hear in “Gotta Go” a sound & style shaped in similar way to Night Flight Orchestra, and that’s a good thing, plenty of melody.
“Perfect little Clue” rocks wit a Heart vibe yet updated to 2018 with a soaring chorus and classic keyboard all over.
Final “Straight Outta Hell” is easily one of highlights: sharp riffs, very good, modulated lead vocals, classy kayboard and some kind of epic / anthem feeling.
Captain Black Beard has been out sailing for a while now. 2018, with their new album promoted by MelodicRock Records, a new, modernized sound, and a stellar fresh vocalist (seriously, Liv Hansson is a real find) hopefully they get even more wind in the sail.
“Struck By Lightning” is also exemplary short and effective at the same time. It clocks 38 minutes and contains 10 concise tracks. Just to applaud this; all are strong, no filler.
Honestly, Captain Black Beard’s “Struck By Lightning” sounds much, much better than many ‘big names’ recent releases, and their songs are darn good updated melodic rock tunes.
Highly Recommended
01 – All the Pain
02 – Perfect Little Clue
03 – Believer
04 – Picture Life
05 – Gotta Go
06 – Out of Control
07 – Dead End Street
08 – Struck by Lightning
09 – Nobody Like You
10 – Straight Outta Hell
Robert Majd – bass
Christian Ek – guitar
Vinnie Stromberg – drums
Liv Hansson – vocals
Jona Tee (H.E.A.T.) – keyboards, production
BUY IT !
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