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Elevener: Symmetry In Motion

Elevener made quite a splash with their 2008 debut album When Kaleidoscopes Collide, with its sublime Scandie Scene AOR simply bounding out of the speakers full of energy and melody. Since then things have been rather too quiet from this Gothenburg based act and their return with an almost completely revamped line up goes a long way to explaining why. Gone is original guitarist/drummer Andreas Broden, with six stringer Magnus Lindqvist and Saffire sticksman Anton Roos filling that void. The other founding member, Johan Bergquist who played bass and keyboards on the debut album, as well as singing, is now concentrating on keyboard duties alone, with singer Pierre Wensberg and bassist Robert Garnold completing Elevener 2011.

One thing that hasn't changed though is the super slick Scandinavian AOR that this outfit fire out with ease and quite amazingly the big change in personnel has actually resulted in a remarkably consistent Elevener sound. Wensberg, who has worked with Prisoner, Tommy Denander and Heartbreak Radio, has a stunning voice that blends aspects of Steve Perry and Tony Harnell with the more earthy tones of Danny Vaughn and Ted Poley to create a wonderful vocal that is perfect for this Treat, early TNT and Grand Illusion inspired sound. Bergquist moving solely to keys maintains the strong melodies that this band's debut release was revered for, but thankfully he hasn't felt the need to shove his way to the front, with the excellent guitar work from Lindqvist being given more than enough room to shine. And dazzle he does with cracking little riffs, glorious motifs and fiery solos that the expert rhythm section of Garnold (Heartbreak Radio) and Roos embellish expertly.

Up tempo rockers like the muscular "Hypnotized" and the bristling "Tearing Me Down" illustrate a band in fine form, with guitars and keys trading themes and riffs, while the slower tracks are no slouches either. "Dare To Love" is a well paced ballad, but it is the acoustic based "For The Times We Share" that really illustrates that Elevener can pull the heart strings as well as they can strut their stuff. Wensberg gives a superb Perryesque performance on the Journey like "Never Would I", which has a chorus to get completely lost in, while "Modern Times" is another excuse for Lindqvist to break out a punchy riff.

I don't know how they do it, but Symmetry In Motion is a perfect example of just how well Scandinavian bands present this style of music and simply has to be on the shopping list of any discerning AOR/melodic rock fan!


Track Listing
1. Just As I Thought
2. Hypnotized
3. Written In Your Eyes
4. Dare To Love
5. Never Would I
6. Heal Me
7. Cage Of Broken Dreams
8. Tearing Me Down
9. For The Times We Share
10. You Got What It Takes
11. Modern Times

Added: May 28th 2011
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Elevener
Hits: 2865
Language: english

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