AMMOURI – Dare To Be Happy (2018)
With the nice title “Dare To Be Happy“, this is the debut album by AMMOURI released today January 12, 2018 via Pride & Joy Music. Marina Ammouri is a Swedish female artist, rock singer, songwriter, and model.
For the album, she was joined by an impressive bunch of musicians which includes Pontus Egberg (The Poodles) on all of the songs and also as co-producer of six tracks.
And the talented session cats doesn’t stop there; on guitar we find John Berg (Dynazty), Staffan Osterlind (Paul Di’Anno), and Tony Borg (Alien), while drums are played by Johan Kullberg (Talk Of The Town, Hammerfall).
Ammouri’s musical style is very interesting. Much of it has a foundation in melodic rock / hard rock, but Ammouri’s powerful voice and some dark metallic riffs / guitar parts here and there make this different.
Even standard ballads like “Bad Illusion” and “He Knows Everything About Me” become interesting due to that special voice which commands your attention.
“Fill Your Heart With Love” (produced by Alien’s Tony Borg) opens the album and it is one of the strongest tracks, with a dark rocking punch. If I have to make a comparison to Ammouri vocals, I would say she’s the female version of Sebastian Bach.
“Monster of Your Own Creation” is a different beast, more light yet still with a somber feel, however, at the chorus it turns very accessible. It brings to mind some ’80s British bands.
“Starlight” is a pop song Ammouri wrote for singer Regina Lund which we here get a bit of a metal version of. With this sonic treatment it turns almost gothic.
Title track “Dare To Be Happy” add groove and a hard rock foundation via quite aggressive riffs, then “Bad Illusion” is built on a midtempo, semi-ballald mode.
“More Than Everything” is some kind of bombastic Bonnie Tyler-style song with some cool strings in the middle.
In a hard rock driving rhythm “Manipulation” brings punch and energy again, and sports a catchy chorus plus great guitar work.
“Not Anymore” has some ’80s European metal on it but with an updated production, while closer “He Knows Everything About Me” is another dark tune, with strings and pianos creating some kind of a creepy feel.
Personally I prefer the rockier songs where Ammouri’s characteristic voice gets the space it needs without constraints.
Ammouri’s debut album is quite an arrival on the scene for this singer. It’s good stuff. With more focus on smoking-hot rock songs, this will be explosive.
She’s got the voice.
1. Fill Your Heart With Love
2. Monsters Of Your Own Creation
3. Starlight (Metal Version)
4. Dare To Be Happy
5. Bad Illusion
6. Manipulation
7. Not Anymore
8. More Than Everything
9. He Knows Everything About Me
Marina Ammouri – vocals
John Berg (Dynazty) – guitar
Staffan Osterlind (Paul Di’Anno) – guitar
Tony Borg (Alien) – guitar
Pontus Egberg (The Poodles) . bass
Johan Kullberg (Talk of the Town, Hammerfall) – drums
BUY IT !
www.amazon.de/Dare-Be-Happy-Ammouri/dp/B077HCYSPN
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