The former lead singer of the Swedish progressive-metal band Mind's Eye has released his second solo album, which finds him returning to his earlier musical influences — namely Journey, Van Halen, KISS and Def Leppard. So don't listen for the references to Dream Theater and Queensryche made by Mind's Eye. Rather, Novak settles in for 42 minutes of catchy melodic hard rock, some songs better ("Highway to Anywhere") than others ("I Must Be Mad"). There's a definite retro vibe going on here; at least one song was penned way back in 1987. And even though Novak left Mind's Eye in 2009, bassist Johan Niemann and drummer Daniel Flores are in the singer's band for NoVakation.
The album title is a play on Novak's surname and the title of the sixth track, "No Vacation" — one of the stronger cuts here, along with the heavy rocker "Yesterday's Rain" and the acoustic "2009." Singing in a clean and strong voice that complements the music, Novak demonstrates why his fellow Swedes in hard-rockers House of Shakira chose him as that band's new lead singer.
Track Listing:
1) Highway to Anywhere
2) I Must Be Mad
3) Days of Our Lives
4) Dare to Believe
5) Keep This Flame
6) No Vacation
7) Part of Your Plan
8) A New Hope
9) Light Years
10) Mr. Cred
11) Yesterday's Rain
12) 2009
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