LANEY’S LEGION – Laney’s Legion (2014)

Commanded by talented Swede Chris Laney (Dynazty’s producer), LANEY’S LEGION is about to release their self-titled debut tomorrow, April 22, 2014 via Perris Records. If you’re a fan of true Scandinavian Melodic Hard Rock you’ll be running out or logging on to your favourite record website to buy this awesome CD.
Yes, with Laney’s Legion’s self titled debut, we have one serious candidate for Album Of The Year.

Laney’s Legion got started in the back water of Laney’s solo career, he released two great albums, Pure (2009) and Only Come Out At Night (2010), and in between he has produced excellent albums for other artists. It was on the tour with the last Chris solo CD that the thoughts of making a full-time band of his backing band took place.
The guys – Mats Vassfjord (Impera, Grand Design) on bass, Patrik Jansson (Hellsingland Underground, Patrik Jansson Band) on drums and John Berg (ex-Dynazty) on lead guitar – had become a real tight unit and Laney felt that this felt more like band than a solo career.

Said and done, in 2011 the band started to write and record songs for their debut album with co-producer and co-song writer Anders Ringman at hand. But it was soon clear that John Berg’s heart wasn’t in it anymore and both parties decided to part ways as friends. Musical differences and the fact that Berg was much younger than the rest of the band were noted as the reasons for the split.
This meant that the hiring of a new lead guitarist was in order. Enter: Rob Marcello.

The incredible Rob Marcello is a Stateside living Swede who has played both with Ron Keel and most recently with Danger Danger and is a real guitar hero, the way they were made back when it was important for musicians to be able to play their instruments.
Marcello and Laney had been friends for years and Marcello dug Laney’s new material and wanted in just as bad as the rest of the Legion wanted him in. And it was this unit that finally recorded the album – an album that’s been a long time coming.

Listening to this CD, it almost sounds like a joke that the band got turned down from label after label, one of the bigger ones with the notion that the music was ‘too modern’. Come on already! Sure, the songs aren’t the jukebox of Laney’s record collection that were his solo albums and you’ll find a broader set of influences on this album, but too modern? No way, this is pure Scandinavian Melodic Hard Rock.

Just taste opener “On And On”. It has a riff that blow you out, with a great Shotgun Messiah hard rockin’ feel and a Def Leppard sounding break. The song has a melody that won’t leave your mind and I’d vote for this to be the live opener as well.
First single “Taste Of Your Tongue” has verses that gives that sounds built for modern radio, I know it’s common practice to hate Nickelback so not to deter anyone I have to state that it doesn’t sound like Nickelback, just an influence and the chorus is just so catchy it’s ridiculous – what a brilliant tune.

Second single “Poptastic” sticks out of this album like a sore thumb. It’s a great poppy / MR song that is so cheesy that it really takes all the cheesiness away. What does “Poptastic” mean? Well, that no matter how great a rock or metal band might be, they would be nothing at all without a little bit of pop. Ain’t that the truth. If our calendar said 1988, that song would be a smash hit. It also really should be one in 2014. I’m gonna make that my hit of summer 2014 anyway.
“Beneath The Surface” has this heavy and groovy riff that brings Def Leppard’s Slang era to mind at times, still with more hooks than a fishing store. I’d consider this a single as well.

Of course, no Melodic Hard Rock album is complete without a ballad, but on many albums it feels like the ballad is written just for the sake of having a ballad on there. But that’s not how this bunch does it. “Bleed Within” is more of an uptempo ballad than a power one and a ballad doesn’t get any better than this. The refrain is just awesome and it sticks in your mind like super glue. If “Poptastic” doesn’t become a hit, then “Bleed Within” should. In a fair world, both of them should be huge.

“Let’s Get It On” is rhythmic, catchy, rocking and everything you’d want from a Melodic Rock song. I’d say this is a hit as well. With “Hollow” the Legion goes down a more metal route. To my ears it sounds like a mix of Second Coming era Shotgun Messiah, Laney’s former band Randy Piper’s Animal with a bit of Laney’s solo stuff thrown in – awesome!

The only song on this album that really sounds like Chris Laney’s solo albums – that means elegant & catchy – is “Assassin Of Our Love”, a brilliant commercial song that has a contagious melody. “No One Can Stop Us” is a superb Hard Rock tune, but with some darker undertones here and there which makes for a more unpredictable experience.
“Legion” must be seen as this album’s title track and is the last one on here. A smart move as with that song, the album leaves us in a rocking mood. The track is the heaviest on the album and if “On And On” isn’t the show opener then I’d go with this one.
Also, by ending the album with a possible show opener, it makes you want to go back and play the album again and again.

When you name check every damn song on an album and you don’t have a bad thing to say about one of them, someone has been doing something damn bloody right. The production by Laney and RingMan (Anders Ringman) is close to perfect for music like this.
It’s a big, fat sound, commercial, but still rough around the edges with a clear and shining melodic sound, in your face but not sterile. The album is dedicated to Mutt Lange (Def Leppard, Bryan Adams) and I can see why… the production on this record is awesome, believe me.

The musicians on “Laney’s Legion” also needs to be mentioned. Patrik Jansson is one of those more rhythmic drummers that leans on groove more than anything else which gives this kind of music a nice twist. He and Vassfjord are a really tight foundation and the backbone on this album.
Marcello is just plain fantastic. Even tough I have know of him before I haven’t really heard him play like this before. If you’re into technical and emotional players, then get ready get blown away.

This album rocks. This is energetic, melodic, catchy, groovy, positive Melodic Hard Rock that is here to make you smile, to make you go for another beer, to have fun with and the truth is, this is one of the best and most complete from the genre I have heard in a long, long time.
Of course there are always some negative things with every album and on this one I have found two: 1) I didn’t write these songs, 2) I can only give this 10 points.
Album Of The Year? Probably… in my MHR Top10? That’s for sure.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

01 – On and On
02 – Taste of Your Tongue
03 – Poptastic
04 – Beneath the Surface
05 – Bleed Within
06 – Let’s Get It On
07 – Hollow
08 – Lady Luck
09 – Assassin of Our Love
10 – No One Can Stop Us
11 – Legion

Chris Laney – Lead Vocals, Guitar
Rob Marcello – Guitar, Vocals
Mats Vassfjord – Bass, Vocals
Patrik Jansson – Drums, Vocals

BUY IT !
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