SAPPHIRE EYES – Sapphire Eyes [Special Edition +1]

With the really good SAPPHIRE EYES new album featured here, one of you asked to revisit the band’s self-titled debut but we will do it with its quite unknown “Sapphire Eyes [Special Edition +1]“, later re-issued including a previously unreleased song as bonus track.

Sapphire Eyes is the side project from Alyson Avenue keyboard player Niclas Olsson and singer Thomas Bursell, with whom he worked with in Sweden’s melodic rockers Second Heat. The self-titled debut fits squarely in the Scandinavian AOR / melodic rock category, sounding much like Alyson Avenue but with male lead vocals.

Olsson and Bursell are helped out by some other melodic rock heavyweights. On lead vocals, Bursell shares the mic with Mikael Erlandsson (Last Autumn’s Dream, Salute) and Mike Andersson (Cloudscape).
Original Alyson Avenue singer Anette Olzon (later in Nightwish but now again with the band) does lead vocals in one song, and at the time Alyson Avenue singer Arabella Vitanc perform backing vocals.
There’s also several experienced players for some impressive guitar licks including Sven Larsson (Street Talk, Lionville) and Rik Priem (Frozen Rain).

This self-titled debut delivers some really awesome smooth AOR melodies and catchy choruses / hooks. Sapphire Eyes may even be more rocking at places than Alyson Avenue, but most every song has that AOR arena anthem feel.
A soft mixture of keys, subtle riffs and a smooth voice start this album with the super catchy “You’re My Wings”. The song immediately sets the standard with his huge chorus. Olsson’s keys are clearly present on this track but also his fellow Alyson Avenue team mate and guitar player Emil Knabe gives us very melodic and contagious riffs.

You hear the typical high pitched guitar sound of Rik Priem (Frozen Rain) during the intro of “I Want You To See Me” and also the rocking “This Love This Time” is granted with his trademark sound.
Sven Larsson (Street Talk) moves the strings on the soft melodies of “Only Feel Love”. That same Sven gives “Change Of Heart” a bluesy guitar intro and further in this track he delivers classy riffs and a Kee Marcello-like solo.

One of the highlights is the rock ballad ‘Can’t Find the Words’, with Mikael Erlandsson at most raspy and passionate best. He puts a truck load of emotions in this song and you can hear his heart break when listening to it.
The ’80s inspired keyboard / synths and the harmonies of “Someone Like You” deserves to be mentioned as well. Thomas Bursell gives to “Lay Down In My Arms” a smooth, almost Westcoast touch.

The previously unreleased bonus track “Give Me Tonight” is acatchy midtempo melodic rocker which turns AOR in the soaring chorus, a song in the early Last Autumn’s Dream vein.

The big sound of Sapphire Eyes has “pure Classy Scandinavian AOR” written all over it. The songs are highly melodic with hooklines catchy as hell, the musicianship is of the highest order and the mix handled by Anders “Theo” Theander (Cloudscape, Urban Tale) finds the right balance between top notch vocal performances, guitar power, keyboard heaven and a solid rhythm back bone.
Highly Recommended

01. You’re My Wings
02. I Want You to See Me
03. Only Feel Love
04. This Love This Time
05. Change of Heart
06. Can’t Find the Words
07. When Love Comes Alive
08. A Man the World Can Do Without
09. Someone Like You
10. Lay Down in My Arms
11. Give Me Tonight (Bonus Track)

Thomas Bursell (Lead and Background Vocals)
Niclas Olsson (Keyboards, Background Vocals, Drums)
with:
Mikael Erlandsson – lead vocals on tracks 1, 6
Mike Andersson – lead vocals on track 8
Anette Olzon – lead vocals on track 4, backing vocals
Arabella Vitanc – background vocals on tracks 3, 9
Emil Knabe – guitars on tracks 1, 9
Sven Larsson – guitars on tracks 3, 5, 11
Mikey K Nilsson – guitars on tracks 2, 6, 7, 10
Rik Priem – guitars on track 4, intro solo on track 2
Christofer Dahlman – guitars on track 8
Thomas Loyska, GAPran Forssen, Mats Stahl – bass
Fransesco Jovino – drums on all tracks except track 3
Anders “Theo” Theander – Loops, percussion and FX

BUY IT !
www.amazon.co.uk/Sapphire-Eyes-Special-Bonustrack/dp/B06XVS2775
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