ELEMENTS OF FRICTIONS – Elements Of Frictions (Lions Pride Music)

Not to be confused with the all-star project with similar name on MTM Records from years ago featuring Robin McAuley, this CD entitled ELEMENTS OF FRICTIONS was the very first release by the really good Danish Melodic Hard Rock / AOR specialized label Lions Pride Music.

ELEMENTS OF FRICTIONS features some of the greatest voices from the Melodic Rock genre in the likes of Larry Baud (Red Dawn), Rich Cox (Sic Vikki), Mark Evans (Heavens Edge), Stefan Berggren (Snakes In Paradise), Stephan Kammerer (Frontline), Tommy La Verdi (ex 21 Guns, LRS), Paul Laine (DarkHorse, ex Danger Danger), Mats Levén (ex Treat, Swedish Erotica, Yngwie Malmsteen), Pete Loran (Trixter), Oliver Fehr (Transit), Matti Alfonzetti (Jagged Edge, Bam Bam Boys, Skintrade) and Swedish newcomer Emma Varg.

‘Elements Of Frictions’ is the brainchild of Lions Pride Music label owner and founder Carsten Nielsen. The album is a compilation of selected 14 songs written, performed and recorded by these renowned Melodic Hard Rock artists some years ago but never released.
Talented Matti Alfonzetti is responsible for mixing the album and also for writing six out of fourteen tracks including the ones performed by Oliver Fehr, Emma Varg, Mats Levén and Larry Baud.
Add to this Alfonzetti’s unreleased solo tune “Don’t Leave Me Lonely”, a really good hi-tech AOR number and softer than his usual solo stuff as of lately.

We find as well here an obscure band project called AREA 51 including Sven Cirnski on guitars (Bad Habit), Micke Hoglund on bass (Great King Rat, Thunder), drummer Jamie Borger (Treat, Talisman) and Pasi Oxman on keyboards. Their song “Little One” is great mix of Swedish Melodic Rock akin Europe or Baltimore and British classic Hard Rock.

Great duo Marcello / Vestry go first in the tracklist with their song “When You Grow Up” being not too far sound-wise from their spectacular 2008 debut. It’s a terrific slice of rockin’ AOR much in the late ‘80s style, embroidered with a slick lead guitar work and high-pitched melodic vocals.

With the really good “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore”, one is to enter a territory of polished female-fronted AOR as is Swedish singer Emma Varg who wields the microphone in this keyboard-laden, neat mid-tempo. The song should have become an favorite for those who have a soft spot for the likes of Saraya, Chrissy Steele or Annica.

The Mats Levén track “Only My Heart” sounds like a mix between Alfonzetti solo work and Treat, while there is something entirely genuine about Transit’s Oliver Fehr soaring, emotionally laden vocal performance on “Don’t Walk Away”.

Pete Loran try his best to sound like classic Trixter on “To The Limit” and does a pretty good job at it in this Summer-ready fun stuff.
Paul Laine deliver some fine melody and noisy guitar work on “Another Me”, then Tommy La Verdi of 21 Guns delivers a rocking number in “Somebody Up There” driven by a Zack Wylde influenced riff.

Frontline’s Stephan Kammerer performs “All About You”, a very soft and fluffy number with just as much melodic as hard rock influences, and it’s one of my favorites.
“Let Me Down Easy” with Rich Cox of Sic Vikki taking over the mic still has a Melodic Rock feel to it in verses and choruses, but it’s a classic rock oriented song. However, it’s very nice, and its rootsy blues-tinted guitar solo is simply fantastic.

“Elements Of Frictions” brings back to the limelight some favourite vocalists after many years of absence from the AOR / Melodic Rock scene, alongside with some still strongly present in the genre.
There are some really impressive moments on this record, some a little weak, yet overall is great to listen these talented cats together on one CD.
A collector’s item.

1. When You Grow Up (written by Rob Marcello & Frank Vestry)
Performed by Marcello / Vestry

2. Little One (written by Matti Alfonzetti)
Performed by Area 51: Matti Alfonzetti (ex Jagged Edge), Sven Cirnski (Bad Habit), Micke Hoglund (ex Great King Rat, Thunder), Jamie Borger (Treat, Talisman), Pasi Oxman

3. Love Don t Live Here Anymore (written by Matti Alfonzetti)
Performed by Emma Varg

4. Don’t Leave Me Lonely (written by Matti Alfonzetti)
Performed by Matti Alfonzetti (ex Jagged Edge / Bam Bam Boys)

5. Make You Mine (written by Matti Alfonzetti & Larry Baud)
Performed by Larry Baud (Red Dawn)

6. Don’t Walk Away (written by Matti Alfonzetti)
Performed by Oliver Fehr (Transit)

7. Without Your Love (written by Snakes In Paradise)
Performed by Snakes In Paradise

8. Only My Heart (written by Matti Alfonzetti)
Performed by Mats Leven (ex Yngwie, Treat, Swedish Erotica)

9. To The Limit (written by Pete Loran / Steve Brown of Trixter)
Performed by Pete Loran (Trixter)

10. Another Me (written by Paul Laine)
Performed by Paul Laine (Dark Horse, ex Danger Danger)

11. Somebody Up There (written by Tommy La Verdi)
Performed by Tommy La Verdi (LRS, ex 21 Guns)

12. All About You (written by Stephan Kammerer)
Performed by Stephan Kammerer (Frontline)

13. Let Me Down Easy (written by Rich Cox)
Performed by Rich Cox (Sic Vikki)

14. Pieces Of The Action (written by Mark Evans / Reggie Wu)
Performed by Mark Evans & Reggie Wu (Heavens Edge)

BUY IT !
www.impulsemusic.com/catalog/detail.asp?id=14872
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