JORN - review added 1st June 2009
Album Review: Spirit Black (2009)
For fans of: Hard Rock... and the voice of voices
Spirit Black is Jorn's swift follow-up to his brilliant 2008 album, Lonely Are The Brave. The 2008 release was arguably Jorn's finest solo work and boasted a truly heavy and melodic guitar sound. Tracks like 'War Of The World' were astonishingly good. So, the hope is, Spirit Black will tread a similar path of absolute bone crushing power with a melodious and delicate backdrop.
The reality is almost there, but perhaps misses that final few decibels of potent gnarliness that made Lonely Are The Brave as much of an experience as a record.
The title track really couldn't sound any more like Ronnie James Dio if it tried. Jorn's vocals are of course completely different in tone, but the style of music and the nuances in that vocal performance are so similar to Dio's it'll scare the life out of you. 'Below' is a funky-tinged track with a contagious chorus. It isn't a complex or spectacularly clever song but there's a an undeniable something in the sound that makes it truly enjoyable. The way the guitar soloing three quarters of the way through interacts with the rhythm section is worthy of flowers and a box of chocolates.
'Road Of The Cross' has a heavy edge that isn't quite up to the grinding savagery of the previous album but ain't too far off. The brooding cool of the chorus and the semi-arabian guitar that follows are hugely memorable. 'City In Between' (a re-recording of a song Jorn recorded in 1995 with his band Vagabond that also featured Ronni Le Tekro) has a different sound to the songs prior and is very anthemic in nature. The crazy sound effects in this track should sound stupid but actually add to the semi-juvenile, semi-fantastical atmosphere in a brilliant fashion.
'Rock N Roll Angel' is a superb song with a sublime chorus. It may be a ballad but it does without that slow slushy vibe you often get in a rocker's love song. The guitars and rhythms maintain their heaviness throughout the track, but an overlaid string section adds an air of majesty. 'I Walk Alone' is a cover of the 2007 song by Tarja Turunen (ex-Nightwish). I have to say that Jorn's version is considerably more engaging that the original, even if Jorn is slightly less attractive.
Overall this album doesn't quite live up to the high expectations set by the previous release. The songs have plenty of variety in style, sound and substance, and Jorn sounds as utterly fantastic as ever. There is however a touch of magic missing from the final cut, maybe because some of the songs aren't as good as they could or should have been. On balance Spirit Black is a fine album, but not the man's best.
Check out... The excellent cover art.
Track List:
01. Spirit Black
02. Below
03. Road Of The Cross
04. The Last Revolution
05. City In Between
06. Rock N Roll Angel
07. Burn Your Flame
08. World Gone Mad
09. I Walk Alone
Label: Frontiers
Artist's websites: Jorn Lande , MySpace
