SUNSTRIKE – Ready To Strike (2016)
Swedes SUNSTRIKE delivered two years ago one of the best debuts in the decade, and now they are back with second effort “Ready To Strike“, again via AOR Heaven Records and again mixed & mastered by Erik Mårtensson from Eclipse / WET.
In short: this is one of best 2016’s Melodic Rock albums for sure.
Where on the debut album the melodies were big, now are huge, and where catchiness / hooks where the order of the day, now are main SunStrike motto.
Seriously, “Ready To Strike” is one of the purest, strongest classic ’80s Melodic Rock albums appeared recently.
The new record starts impressively with a fantastic tune titled “Head Over Heels”, and since track 1 we have a winner! An up-tempo melodic rock gem with a huge melody to die for!
“A Piece Of The Action” and “Firework” are both punchier, more rocking, while in the keyboard-driven “Hurricane” we are dealin’ with a monstrous AOR anthem that will make you wanna whistle it for days.
Check out, also, the very H.E.A.T-esque “Heaven” that will blow your mind with its explosive chorus line.
“Rock This House”, “Angel In My Room” and “Someone To Love” are all three perfect examples of pure Scandinavian Melodic Rock / AOR bliss that includes great choruses, slick arrangements, a crunchy guitar work and big harmonies.
For the recording, apart of four members providing backing vocals, to make the choirs as big and fat as possible two friends of the band, Danne Andersson & Annsofie Lindström, joined them in the studio for a couple of days and nailed down some really cool multi-part vocal harmonies.
Being very pleased with Erik Mårtensson’s work with the mixing/mastering of the first album, the choice was pretty easy this time around.
And believe me, “Ready To Strike” sound million bucks.
Bigger, better and huge are three fine words to describe SunStrike’s second album “Ready To Strike”.
There’s not a weak track here, nor an out of place arrangement – but terrific, exuberant, ridiculously catchy songs wrapped in a bombastic production / sound.
It has been written above; this is one of best 2016’s Melodic Rock albums for sure.
Excellent.
01 – Head over Heels
02 – A Piece of the Action
03 – Firework
04 – Hurricane
05 – I Stand by You
06 – Rock This House
07 – Angel in My Room
08 – Someone to Love
09 – Turned to Stone
10 – Heaven
11 – Sail Away
Christian Eriksson – Vocals
Joachim Nordlund – Guitars, Bass, Backing Vocals
Mats Gesar – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Fredrik Plahn – Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Johan Lindstedt – Drums
Danne Andersson, Annsofie Lindström – Backing Vocals
mixed & mastered by Erik Mårtensson
BUY IT !
www.aorheaven.com/index.php/englisch_a/sunstrike-ready-to-strike.html
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