UNIVERSE – Universe [digitally remastered] (2018)

Not to be confused with the German band of the same name, Swedish outfit UNIVERSE released their debut in 1985. Now after many years the band is back re-named as Universe Infinity with a new album to be released soon.
So to celebrate the comeback, UNIVERSE’s long time out of print self-titled 1985 album “Universe” is being reissued, digitally remastered for the first time by Pride & Joy Music.

UNIVERSE started in 1982 in Upplands Väsby, Sweden, where hard rock ruled the streets. The members hailed from several different local bands. After leaving the band Moon, lead guitarist Michael Kling, who founded the band WC in the late ’70s with future Europe guitarist John Norum, became one of UNIVERSE’s founding members.

Bassist Hasse Hagman, who played in Joey Tempest’s first band, along with drummer Anders Wetterström and guitarist Per Nilsson, all came from the band Twilight. Once UNIVERSE got their hands on keyboard player Fredrik Kriström and singer Kjell Wallen, the band was complete.
They played diligently for a couple of years all over Sweden, opening for Nazareth, among many other gigs.

In 1985, the band released this self-titled debut album, toured Scandinavia, and next year vocalist Kjell Wallen left the band on good terms following creative differences and was subsequently replaced by Janne Åström.
With Janne as the new frontman, the band focused fully on a follow-up to their debut album. Several demos were recorded but never ended up in the right hands.
The band dissolved in early 1988 and then had a short reunion for a final show in the ice hall in Upplands Väsby later that year.

The band members went their separate ways, each showing up here and there in different contexts with connections to music. Everyone maintained occasional contact and eventually Per Nilsson reached out to the others to see if they were interested in playing together again.
And now they are back, re-named Universe Infinity due legal reasons.

But let’s talk about this self-titled 1985 album “Universe”.
As said above, future Europe members Joey Tempest and John Norum were involved with Universe musicians, so don’t be surprised to find a sound & style similar to Europe’s first albums. In fact, all the Scandinavian stuff of the era.

Opener “Rollin’ On” has some AORish feel thanks to its keyboards flourishes, but most the material is traditional hard rock oriented, like “Stories from the Old Days”, and “Strong Vibrations”.
We can clearly identify their signature sound, it’s classic Swedish (read pre-commercial stuff before The Final Countdown explosion) guitar driven rockers akin early Europe, Madison, 220 Volt, even some Scorpions.

The songs in “Universe” take me back to the very fist time I listened to Europe’a Wings Of Tomorrow, which was characterized by galactic-sounding keyboards that beautifully overlapping the crunching sounds of the guitars.
Although possessing a very cult status in the ’80s Scandinavian Hard Rock scene, Universe have proven, even by the release of only one album, that they were capable of so much more.

I still got the old ‘n wasted original LP, and the production of “Universe” wasn’t stellar. This remaster has improved the the overall sound quality, and it’s great to finally have this quite obscure release on CD.
Highly Recommended

You’ve seen it first here, at 0dayrox

01 – Rollin’ On
02 – Stories From The Old Days
03 – Weekend Warrior
04 – Lonely Child
05 – Looking For An Answer
06 – Angel
07 – Woman
08 – Strong Vibration
09 – Burning Machine
10 – Question Of Time

Kjelle Wallen – Vocals
Michael Kling – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Per Nilsson – Guitar
Hasse Hagman – Bass
Anders Wetterstrom – Drums
Freddie Kristrom – Keyboards

BUY IT !
www.aorheaven.com/index.php/englisch_b/universe-universe-digitally-remastered.html
www.amazon.co.uk/Universe/dp/B079PDT7CN
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