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"Alien's “When Yesterday Comes Around” is a sepia-toned ballad that fans of 80's AOR and melodic hardcore should appreciate."
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4/5
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Alien is a Swedish hard melodic band who released their first album during the famous 80's, a time when a few Scandinavian compatriots, such as Europe, Fate and Treat, now much better known, had done the same. With only six albums in 32 years, is this AOR dinosaur still capable of appealing to the masses, in these times when the profusion of releases multiplies the temptations facing fans of the genre? “When Yesterday Comes Around”, with three of the original musicians on board, comes at just the right time to try and prove it.
Listening to this album, there are no surprises to be found: vintage hard rock is in the spotlight in a particularly marked way, and the scores play it soft. With the exception of 'In The End We Fall' and the fast-paced 'I Belong To The Rain', worthy of Graham Bonnet's Rainbow and featuring a neo-classical solo, the other thirteen tracks don't offer the listener the opportunity to subject his or her neck to torture. Nevertheless, the quintet's know-how works wonders, and the work as a whole catches the listener's attention. These old hands know all the tricks of the musical trade inside out.
By ticking off a few of the genre's great names in their reference list, they caress the audience in the right direction. Jim Jidhed's voice frequently takes on Steve Perry's intonations, while Tony Borg's touch is often reminiscent of Neal Schon. Journey is particularly prominent on this album, especially on the beautiful ballad 'I Remember', which could have belonged to the American giant's repertoire. We also recognize Magnum on the eponymous track, where the shadows of Bob Catley and the late Tony Clarkin hover melancholically overhead. Pomp rock also takes center stage on the mid-tempo 'If Love Is War', as do Survivor on 'Fall In My Arms', Harlan Cage on 'Hearts Of Fire', and the Rainbow of “Straight Between The Eyes” on 'Aming High'.
Alien's “When Yesterday Comes Around” is a pleasant sepia-toned ballad. Without falling into the trap of outdated nostalgia, the Swedes pull off a tour de force with an opus packed with gripping melodic flights and shivering arpeggios. Classic in the midst of modern times, but conventional and diamond-cut. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
 01. In The End We Fall
02. If Love Is War
03. Aiming High
04. Strange Way
05. We Are Living
06. I Belong To The Rain
07. I Remember
08. Signs
09. Fall In My Arms
10. Coming Home
11. Hearts On Fire
12. When Yesterday Comes Around
13. Awareness (Outro)
LINEUP:
Jim Jidhed: Chant
Jimmy Wandroph: Claviers
Ken Sandin: Basse
Toby Tarrach: Batterie
Tony Borg: Guitares
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(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
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(4) COMMENT(S)
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Pour peu que l' on passe outre une pochette peu engageante ( comme si le groupe avait voulu faire du Yes mais sans avoir les moyens d 'engager Roger Dean au dessin !), on découvre un album sympathique qui nous replonge dans l 'AOR/FM des 80's. Comme le dit Lynott dans sa chronique on pense surtout à Journey. Alien propose un hard bien léché, peu énervé, doucement mélodieux, prêt pour la bande FM des radios américaines. Cette méthode "old school" a ses adeptes. J' en suis ! 4/5
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En effet, je viens de l'écouter d'une traite et la première impression est plutôt bonne mais avec Jeff Soto et Erik Martensson, y'avait pas beaucoup de risque... à confirmer quand même... 
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Ha...la nostalgie m'a plus alpagué que toi...Tant pis, nous devrions bientôt tomber à nouveau d'accord sur le W.E.T. !
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Comme tu l'avais pressenti,ici nos avis divergent ( et ça fait du monde!): à l'instar du titre finalement assez révélateur, cet Alien sent un peu le vieillot, dans le sens où, si ce ne sont les mélodies un peu surannées et les refrains passepartout, le son et la production sont d'un autre âge en laissant cette impression de travail un peu bâclé, tant pis si finalement tout est bien lisse et uniforme...par contraste, l'album de 2020 produit par le prince du Hard mélo ( martensson) était bien plus dynamique et accrocheur... en plus, les références systématiques à Journey finissent par lasser, l'original étant toujours supérieur à la copie.
Il fallait bien que cette complicité cesse, ça ne pouvait pas durer 😓 dans la mythologie du xenomorphe, l'Alien est un organisme implacable et très agressif, nos suédois en sont très loin...
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READERS
3.3/5 (3 view(s))
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STAFF:
4/5 (1 view(s))
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OTHER REVIEWS
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OTHER(S) REVIEWS ABOUT ALIEN
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