Last Autumn's Dream - Winter in Paradise
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7.0 |
Editor review
Last Autmn's Dream - Winter in Paradise
Last Autumn's Dream trace their history back to 2003, when John Leven, Ian Haughland and keyboard player Michael Michaeli of the legendary Europe were joined by vocalist Mikael Erlandsson and Fair Warning guitarist Andy Maleck.
Fast froward to 2005, and with the Europe contingent leaving after the self titled debut album, the new lineup found their feet after their sophomore outing, simply titled II. II had seen the band fall back somewhat after a stunning debut album, the new lineup seemingly not clicking, but with Winter in Paradise, the magic is back.
AOR makes many think of bands like Toto and Asia, and in many respects puts people off the genre. Don't be fooled though, Winter in Paradise is a superbly crafted album, Erlandsson's voice reaching out and grabbing you, the passion and belief in the songs so evident. While you can draw obvious comparissons to other bands, more suprisingly are the feel of Bon Jovi, and Def Leppard, not quite what you'd expect from a Scandanavian AOR band.
On the ballad Echoes from the Past, it took me several listens to finally put my finger on what it was about the song that seemed so familiar. Deep breath now, but yes, it sounds surprisingly reminiscent of Queen circa their first two albums, and still remains my favorite track on the album.
More than anything else on this album, everyone comes together, the lyrics, the keyboards, the guitars, they all complement each other, no single part actually seemingly to overshadow any of the others, a superb achievement in my opinion.
Throw this in your cd player, sit back, and let dream envelop you. It's a journey well worth taking, and one I'm positive you'll enjoy.
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| Overall rating: |
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7.0 |
| Artwork: |
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7.0 |
| Production: |
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7.0 |
| Music Quality: |
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7.0 |
| Lyrics: |
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5.0 |
| Overall: |
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9.0 |
Reviewed by Mike Elliott
May 03, 2007
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