 JORN
Unlocking the Past
Frontiers Records 2006
www.jornlande.com
What’s the 4-1-1?
Former Masterplan, Millenium, Brazen Abbot, Ark vocalist (and solo
artist) Jorn Lande unlocks his past with previous, unreleased cover tracks,
and leftovers from his ten years plus solo career.
Genre
Melodic rock / power metal / hard rock
The Good
“On and On” (a song that was meant to appear on a Millenium covers
album) incorporates chunky riffs with serene keyboard tones. Jorn delivers
a chorus full of pitch-perfect melody. “Fool for Your Loving” is
a lot slower than the Whitesnake original, but the riffs are a lot meatier.
The song suits Jorn quite well because he sounds like David Coverdale on
steroids most of the time anyway. Lande really flexes his vocal chops on
the Dio-era Sabbath track “Lonely is the Word/Letters From Earth.” His
guitarist’s are no slouches either.
This is no knock on Paul Rogers
or Bad Company, but Lande really puts some balls behind the otherwise wussy
delivery of “Feel Like Making Love.” Sure, the intro is still
a little syrupy and emotional, but the chorus has some punch. “Kill
the King” is another stand-out track due to its heaviness, powerful
vocals, rapid fire drums, and true to form delivery. Lande is clearly starting
to show his appreciate for Ronnie James Dio and Ritchie Blackmore. Not convinced?
He returns with a killer version of Deep Purple’s “Perfect Strangers.”
The Bad
Was two songs by Dio & Blackmore really necessary?
The Verdict
It’s a damn shame that Jorn’s popularity doesn’t expand
beyond Europe. I’ve heard a lot of material from this hard rock vocalist,
and I’ve been impressed will all of it. Lande has one of the most powerful
and emotion-provoking voices in hard rock. Unlocking the Past pays homage
to Jorn’s favorite 70s and 80s cuts, while at the same time introducing
new listeners what he’s capable of (by using songs you already know
and love). If this is the first Jorn disc you listen to, you are sure to
check out more.
Did You Know?
Jorn Lande was born in 1968.
Rating:  out
of 5
Related Reviews:
Millenium - The Best of...and More!
Allen*Lande - The Battle
Masterplan - S/T
--George Dionne
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