Covered Call: Impact

Released in 2009, Money Never Sleeps from Covered Call received many great reviews, full of praise for the melodic rock on show and the mature outlook of the music. I'm not sure if it was the "serious" band name and album title, or a CD cover which suggested some hard to digest material may be secreted inside, but for whatever reason I passed on it and truth be told, promptly forgot all about Covered Call. That was until earlier this year when one of the most consistent melodic rock labels around, AORHeaven announced that the second Covered Call album, Impact, would be appearing through their imprint.

So with my curiosity duly piqued and news that vocalist extraordinaire Goran Edman (Brazen Abbot/Karmakanic/John Norum/Yngwie Malmsteen) had jumped on board in place of one time Therion and Candlemass man Thomas Vikstrom, let's see what (ahem) impact, Impact has in store for us all. Well, a keen mix of the likes of Tyketto, Danger Danger and W.E.T. is a good start, with "Nothing Lasts Forever" and "When The Lights Are Out" allowing the twin guitars of Joel Carlsson and Morgan Rosenquist to burst through the excellent (uncredited on the promo) keyboard contributions, while bassist Andy Loos and drummer Ronny Svanstromer lay down the rhythms thick and fast. Edman is an inspired addition to the band, with his rousing, varied vocals adding a huge amount of colour and depth to songs that while sticking close to the expected MHR/AOR paths, still sound reasonably fresh and vibrant.

"Lorraine" is a pleasantly brooding, understated opening track, but the Def Leppard like layered vocals in the chorus make it a compelling listen, while "Live It Up" adds the swagger that Bon Jovi lost a long time ago to a bluesy, guitar led romp. However the album's strongest moment amongst many is "Hold On" where Leppard crashes headlong into Tyketto via Shadow King - and who can argue with that?

Sharp and biting, subtle and understated, memorable and catchy, Impact lives up to its name through all these aspects and more. Covered Call should raise their volume to a shout and lovers of classy melodic rock should come running to their cause.

Track Listing
1. Lorraine
2. When The Lights Are Out
3. Think About Old Times
4. Look Into Your Mind
5. Hold On
6. Make A Wish
7. Nothing Lasts Forever
8. Wake Up
9. When I'm Gone
10. Live It Up
11. Last Goodbye

Added: April 5th 2013
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Covered Call Online
Hits: 2833
Language: english

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