Two years have passed and what we get with Dreamland of 2009 just doesn’t quite agree with my conception of the direction I would like to have seen the band moving in. Instead of fortifying the Traditional Metal citadel so successfully seized at the start of their career, they fell upon the ideas of modern Power Metal and had a stab in something that is pretty close to the bands like Nocturnal Rites and Thunderstone. Of course, it’s easier to pull down than to build, and as a result the new songs sound as if the guys just don’t feel as motivated any more. Not that this new material is unlistenable, but I just don’t sense the same spark of inspiration in most of the songs, however hard I try. To my mind, some other groups in Sweden, like Her Whisper or Saint Deamon, can do this style far better these days.

I have no doubt this kind of Power Metal calls for some profound sense of melody as well as absolutely impeccable and luxurious arrangements. Regretfully, there is an obvious deficit of both. I don’t know whether someone put a jinx on the band’s ability to compose striking and memorable tunes but I only find several tracks meeting my personal requirements. For instance, I do like the fiery title track and also the highly energetic “Shortest Straw”, since these two offer some pretty interesting guitar licks and even a few growls and screams, thus relieving the overall generic sound of the material. Ironically enough, the album’s two-minute final instrumental “Time To Exhale” comes as the most unexpected and interesting bit here. The collaboration between the bass and plucked guitars is incredibly fascinating and spectacular. If only the guys had been able to keep this level all the way through my reaction to the album would have been quite different.

As a rule, I’m very well-disposed towards Power Metal from Sweden. Moreso, I believe this country offers the best younger representation of the genre at the moment. It is suffice to name Bloodbound, Saint Deamon, Dragonland, Harmony and Her Whisper among others to see that it’s not just empty praise. Alas, Dreamland with their third full-length offering Exit 49 just failed to convince me they deserve equal honors for the time being. I admit it’s not a bad thing to aim for changes and constant progress, but only if you are certain the risk is justified. It sure seems like it’s time for this band to get off this highway and take the exit back to their origins instead.

No sooner had I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Rockwolf, that I discovered their previous album Metal Casino, which erased any remaining doubts about the status of the band. To my surprise, the latter just knocked me down with a feather! Quite possibly, The Order is that rare bird that fills you with an irrepressible urge to experience its merits from A to Z, and I’m sure now that my next look into them will be their debut Son Of Armageddon.

But let me get back to the subject of this review. Nearly every song on Rockwolf has it what it takes to hold you completely electrified all the way. Powerhouse pulsating rhythms, diverse guitar tones, screaming born and bred classic solos, and enough catchy tunes to make you plainly hum along and boogie to the music. The nearest comparisons to them would be The Order’s compatriots of Gotthard and Shakra, but there are also many other moments to remember the classic heroes of the genre. “Love Ain’t A Game To Play” and “Angels In Disguise” sound like something Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy) and Matt Sinner (Sinner, Primal Fear) could have come up with had they ever been able to jam together. “Endlessly” is a weighty, wistful ballad with a number of unexpected turns and tempo accelerations reminding simultaneously of Kingdom Come and Robert Plant’s solo work. The title track presents sticky dirty-sounding plucked guitars which wouldn’t be out of place on an early Def Leppard album. The groove is purely mesmerizing and the culminating solo lick throws you into ecstasies to say the least. “Miss Paradise” is an evident nod to Queen‘s ragtime eccentricity and sounds like something from A Night At The Opera or Jazz albums. Even the bonus cover track for Duran Duran’s “Wild Boys” isn’t stripped of some originality, though a few people could certainly find it a bit much for their tastes.

In summary, The Order and their new disc has become my Hard Rock discovery of the year. So far, 2009 has gone like a house on fire, and not in the metal circles alone. If anything, the new releases from House Of Lords, Gotthard, Shakra, Jorn and The Trophy will please almost all Hard Rock fans and I have no doubts The Order will perfectly fall within this list also. Rockwolf could definitely become your new favorite Hard Rock record, not only for the time being, but also for many years to come. Hats off to a great job, guys!

Honestly, I expected that the upcoming new release I Am The ReVolution wouldn’t throw me for a loop the way its predecessor UniVers did back in 2007 (it was actually my number two of the year), since I got into good training with this music over the past two years and literally learned every song by heart. If I used to have difficulty admitting that Voyager are a metal band from head to toe, I just stopped paying any attention to it. In fact, I’m now quite comfortable with the state of things that there is metal and there is Voyager, as it gives the listening process a keen feel of singularity, a taste of forbidden fruit if you like. And I knew for a fact that I was simply doomed to fall for the new material the moment I heard the first sounds of opener “Land Of Lies”. It just couldn’t be any other way with these dynamic rhythms, slightly muffled yet impressive guitars and Daniel’s serene and highly fascinating manner of singing. Maybe the fact that it sounds galaxies away from what today’s Melodic Metal bands offer in general takes some time to get used to, but soon you will not only lose track of time but also forget your own name, so beautiful and unearthly are melodies and arrangements presented here.

Similar to the UniVers material, there are no weak songs on I Am The ReVolution at all. Any of the songs has a huge potential to become your favorite, depending on what mood or state of mind you are in at the moment. Thus “The Devil In Me” disposes to sad meditation about the imperfection of human nature while “Close Your Eyes” makes you look at the bright side of things, claiming that time will heal all your wounds and scars. Pondering on the subject of death and life, the relatively speedy “Total Existence Failure” and “Straight To The Other Side” learn not to fear inescapable “gifts” of fate and live a full life while you still draw breath. Once again Daniel Estrin offers some vent to his eccentricity, including fragments of German and Russian speech in these two tracks. I’m not sure about the German excerpt, but the Russian one features the lines from “Duma”, a legendary piece by classical Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov. Last time it was Alexander Pushkin with his immortal “Yevgeny Onegin”. Marvelous romantic ballad “In My Arms” brings in the scent of dying love, involuntarily making you re-live the experience if you’ve ever had one. The most musically complex and progressive “Times Like These”, “On The Run From The World” and “I Am The Revolution” are just permeated with the spirit of rebel against this life’s dictatorial principles, literally calling you out to make a “little coup” in your worldview. Actually, this is a very philosophical and many-sided album that will certainly make you contemplate life’s deeper meanings.

In like manner, the musical decors are very well-thought and timely convey the general feeling with lots of bridges, interludes and splendid solo bits. I would especially mark the work of the guitar combo consisting of new 18 year old guitarist Chris Hanssen and his female copartner Simone Dow. Instead of surprising you with an exceptionally virtuosic commandment of their instruments, they prefer holding on to a more restrained yet delicate manner, enchanting the listener with Gilmour meets Oldfield spells. Equally good is the maestro Daniel Estrin himself with his keyboard set, impressing not only with well-crafted background accompaniments but also with lots of unexpected high-tech effects and solos.

Comparing the new album with its predecessors, I’ve come to the conclusion that with UniVers and I Am The ReVolution Voyager have attained the zenith of their genius. They should simply keep doing what they do, not taking much note of how innovative or ingenious it is. As long as they cope with this task, not only will they retain their appeal to their fans, but they can expect their fanbase to keep on growing from album to album. If you still haven’t entered the wonderful world of the big “V”, then don’t hesitate to do so as soon as possible. The revolution has begun!