If you’re a Metal fan like me, you’ve given up hope that Queensryche will ever record an album that recalls the glory days of their finest work (S/T EP, The Warning, Rage for Order, Operation: Mindcrime). Luckily for us, along comes a band from Sweden called Malison Rogue.

  According to their Facebook biography, the band started out performing under the name Ashes and played many shows all around Sweden for a few years to build a good fan base for the future.

    When the band performed at the famous Sweden Rock Festival where they did a critically acclaimed show, the band changed name to Malison Rogue and decided that it was time to record their debut album. A deal was inked with the Swedish label Inner Wound Recordings and Malison Rogue entered the studio with producer mastermind Mats Levén [ex. Yngwie Malmsteen, Therion] to record their debut album.

    The first power chord and bass line of opening track “Friend or Foe” can only be described as “Ryche-ian”. By the time you get to the chorus you will have a huge smile on your face and you will be hooked! Lead vocalist Zeb has a pleasant tone and a nice range that compliments the music perfectly. “The Griever” features some nice melodic harmony lead guitars courtesy of guitarist Bjoerkborg that recall the axe duo of DeGarmo/Wilton.

     This album is filled with great old school rockers like “This Lonely Road”, “We’re All Born Sinners” and “The Pain You Cause” (which also features some fine Tate-like screams from Zeb). The band slows it down on “My Mistakes”, a dramatic power ballad reminiscent of Edguy, which will have you waving your lighters (sorry, cell phones, need to be politically correct!).

     All in all, a fine debut album from a band with a great future ahead of them. Hopefully we will see them in the U.S. at some point. Think I will send a copy of this album to Geoff Tate with a note that says “You Wish!”.

 
Rating: 8.0