Reingold - Universe

2. Universe (part 1)
3. Glorified
4. Overloaded
5. Highroler
6. Eye For An Eye
7. No More I Love You
8. Killer On The Loose
9. Carolina
10. Northern Light
11. Sacrifice And Suffering
12. Can I Take You To Heaven
13. Universe (part 2)

Album Cover:

Total Playing Time: 46:22 m:s

Review date: 6 Sept 1999

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His Midnight Sun co-founder, Pete Sandberg, went for a funky-AOR direction on his recent solo album, but Jonas has gone for a Scandinavian hard rock direction with this project. Whither this is closer to Midnight Sun I can't comment, as I haven't actually heard any Midnight Sun material.

With the spoken word grandiose opening and the 'big' sound of the album, Ten were an initial thought when it came to thinking of comparisons. As the album progressed I realised that this doesn't have the pomp overtones that the Ten albums possess. This is hard hitting, yet melodic, hard rock in the style of Talisman, Malmsteen (and therefore I suppose Rainbow), with elements of bands like Stratovarius. This style of Scandinavian hard rock isn't an area that I've examined as much as I probably should have. I've got a couple of Talisman albums and whilst I like some the tracks I don't play the CDs that often.

A combination of this arriving relatively close the cut off date for this month's update and the fact that I been very bust this month, has meant it is only now that I am sitting down to write the review that I'm getting the chance to listen to this in detail. Prior to this my view was that, whilst it was a good album, it erred on the side of too many fretboard antics for me. The songs do tend to stick to a tried and tested formula, but then that comes as part and parcel of this style of music. Somehow all the elements for a great album were there - good musicianship, classy vocals and a decent production - but the album just wasn't quite hitting the 'right spot' for me. The problem? I hadn't listened it enough! Plain & simple - I hadn't let it work it's magic on me.

First proper track, "Glorified", has some big vocal harmonies to lead you into the track before it turns into a fast paced romp in the style of Talisman and Stratovarius. The band then use the more deliberate mid-tempo "Overloaded" to introduce you further to their world (or should I have said Universe?). "Highroller" & "Eye For An Eye" both rattle along at a hell of a pace, but still manage to maintain a sense of melody. The band take a rest with the overly formularised ballad "No More I Love You". Reingold don't allow themselves much time to sit around before it is on with the rockin' "Killer On The Loose" where I could have done without the police radio sample."Carolina " swaggers into the No. 1 position as my favourite track. "Northern Lights" is the surprise of the package with it's folk/jig structure but rock sound. "Sacrifice And Suffering"'s chorus has a Queen feel. "Can I Take You To Heaven" is a slower number with a blues influence that has hints of Hendrix. And so the band left as they began- Universe (part 2) is a brief outro in a similar vein to the intro

Fans of this style of Rainbow influenced Euro-rocking will lap this up.