LAST UNION (feat. James LaBrie) – Twelve (2018)

Near to Christmas, every year, we have a new LAST AUTUMN’S DREAM out in Japan. 2018 not an exception, and “Secret Treasures” will be released tomorrow, including 4 bonus tracks. The European version will appear next year.

With many of the Last Autumn’s Dream members busy with other projects – i.e. Jamie Borger with Treat, or Nalle Pahlsson with the upcoming great Gathering Of Kings debut album – the band decided to include in “Secret Treasures” songs written many years ago completely reworked / remixed.
Additionally, there’s very rare singer Mikael Erlandsson own songs done in a Last Autumn’s Dream’s fashion – hence this release sports at the cover ‘Mikael Erlandsson and Last Autumn’s Dream’.

I was a afraid to hear here discarded, sub-par quality songs.
Well folks, not only all these songs are very good, but also rocking and kickin’ like Last Autumn’s Dream’s early days
Indeed, the recent albums by Last Autumn’s Dream found the band going for a really light sound, melodic rock very close to pop / Eurovision at places.
“Secret Treasures” rocks with a melodic / hard pulse, bringing to mind the early days of the band, and I love it.

‘Eye of the Hurricane’ kicks of the record with punchy drums and sharp guitars, the melodic waves characteristic of the band appears in the verses, and the chorus is infectious, with a H.E.A.T feel.
Next, ‘Evil’ continues with stinging guitars and an even more anthemic chorus (think WET), the the soaring melodic rock shows its face on ‘Pain’, yet with aggressive vocals and riffs.
Yeah, the spirit of Last Autumn’s Dream I & II is back!

‘Have to Let You Go’ is a Mikael Erlandsson old song, a midtempo AOR tune with a classy Scandinavian atmosphere, ‘Why’ is fun and poppy melodic rock with a sweet chorus, while ‘Break Another Night’ is just another solid uptempo melodic rock tune with lots of harmony layers.
The joyful ‘OK’ rock hard, I really love the punch of ‘When She’s Gone’, then Erlandsson go for a Beatlesque melody on the gentle ‘Alice in Wonderland’.

‘Brand New Life (Remix)’ is just that, a remix of one of the best songs from LAD ‘II’, and in my opinion one of their best songs ever, when the great, late Marcel Jacob was still in the band. Superb song with a welcomed update.
Also ‘Running (Remix)’ and ‘Up in Paradise (Remix) from the same era, and one wonders how much the band has morphed over the years.

Last Autumn’s Dream & Erlandsson did a clever move with “Secret Treasures”; they keep the band alive (all members are involved into several projects) recovered old songs and recorded / remixed them with the early LAD sound & style resulting not only in one of their most rocking albums to date but one of the strongest Melodic Hard Rock albums of the year!
HIGHLY Recommended

01. Eye of the Hurricane
02. Evil
03. Pain
04. Have to Let You Go
05. Why
06. Break Another Night
07. OK
08. Love Is the Answer (Remix)
09. When She’s Gone
10. Alice in Wonderland
BONUS TRACKS:
11. Brand New Life (Remix)
12. Running (Remix)
13. Up in Paradise (Remix)
14. (Always Be) You and I (Remix)

Mikael Erlandsson (Vocals)
Peter Soderstrom, Sayit Dolen, Andy Malecek (Guitars)
Thomas Lassar (Keyboards)
Nalle Pahlsson, Joel Starander, Marcel Jacob (Bass)
Jamie Borger, Pontus Engborg (Drums)

PRE ORDER:
www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/MICP-11455
.