DREAMHUNTER – Kingdom Come [2015 reissue + Japan Bonus Track]

Swedes DREAMHUNTER released two stupendous albums in 2000 / 2001 through Z Records in Europe and Pony Canyon Inc. in Japan. Long time out of print, fortunately both were reissued some time ago.
“Kingdom Come” is the first Dreamhunter album, and I still remember how positively impacted on me after a decade of depressive grunge.
This was one of the first albums to bring back Melodic Rock again into the new century, and the new wave of Scandinavian acts in this genre to follow.

Dreamhunter definitely delivers some sonic highlights in “Kingdom Come”, caught somewhere between the melodic vice of fellow Swedes Dalton and the high octane energy of German rockers Boysvoice. It’s a pure ’80s style Melodic Hard Rock with power AOR touches, all revitalized with a modern and updated sound.

I still remember at the end of the ’90s when two tracks (“Kingdom Come” and “Anyway You Want It”) were circulating long before the actual release of the album on various samplers. I fell in love with Dreamhunter. Actually “Kingdom Come” was already in my Song of the Year position before the album even came out in 2000.

And it’s precisely title track “Kingdom Come” which opens the album and paints my AOR sky a wonderful shade of blue right away. An extremely positive rocker that got stuck in my all time top 50 songs.
“When Heaven Calls Your Name” is another rocker in the same vein, more rocking and absolutely awesome, rish in harmony vocals and biting guitars.
“Anyway You Want It” already known from the samplers is a bit different with it’s brass synth supported refrain it delivers a definitely modern feel in the best possible sense of the word. “Night After Night” reminds me of the great AOR bands of the ’80s again but it rocks a bit more and the sound is definitely up-to-date with a very balanced mix.

Another highlight of the album is the first ballad “My Days Are Counted”. A piano chord based song, a bit similar to Heart’s classic Alone but with that special desperado feel that Bon Jovi’s Wanted Dead or Alive or Steelhouse Lane’s Son of a Loaded Gun delivered. This is a wonderful ballad that gets right into your heart.
Then we get some more rocking tunes, all of finest quality, some with more modern sound, some just in the classic uptempo or midtempo ’80s vein (“Long Cold Winter”, “Tell Me Why You Love Him”, “Young Wild and Free”).

“All Dressed Up But No Place To Go” is a bit different again with its classic rock piano lines and earthy instrumentation. The album closes with another wonderful ballad “Take My Breath Away” that reminds me of the Mutt Lange produced Bryan Adams albums or (again) the great keyboard driven AOR bands of the ’80s.

On their debut “Kingdom Come” Dreamhunter managed to melt everything that is fine in Melodic Rock / AOR music in one album and with mentioning all those great bands and classic songs above I just wanted to show how good this album is.
I hear also some of the very early Jaded Heart, Harem Scarem or Aces High, and even some of the present heroes of the genre Eclipse / Erik Martensson.
Yes, “Kingdom Come” by Dreamhunter is considered a cult classic, but for me it’s just one of the best albums of the genre in this new Century.
FAN-DAMN-TASTIC

01 – Kingdom Come
02 – When Heaven Calls Your Name
03 – Anyway You Want It
04 – Night After Night
05 – My Days Are Counted
06 – Long Cold Winter
07 – Tell Me Why
08 – Young Wild & Free
09 – Rose Tattoo
10 – All Dressed Up
11 – You Take My Breath Away
+
12 – The Confessions Of An Ordinary Man (Japan Bonus Track)

Stig Gunnarson – vocals
Olle Zimmerman – guitars
Peter Otterborg – bass
Perry Karlsson – drums
Thomas Lassar – keyboards

BUY IT
www.amazon.co.uk/Kingdom-Come-Dreamhunter/dp/B013D1E1R0
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