M.ILL.ION – Sane & Insanity
- Posted on 18-06-2011
Seventh studio album from one of Scandinavia’s top hard rock bands. Traditional in their stance, expect 12 songs with 70’s blues-based roots, majestic organ/keyboard parts, and a vocal/guitar tandem requisite for the style at hand. New guitarist Andreas Grovle and keyboardist Angelo Modafferi appear to gel well with the long standing M.ILL.ION. members on winning tracks like Whitesnake oriented “Cry To Heaven”, 80’s Deep Purple-like period piece “Tomorrow Never Dies” and the bubbly fever that is “Drama Queens”.
I think every Swedish melodic singer must study Europe and Rainbow before attempting to join a band – as Ulrich Carlsson has the tools of a Joey Tempest along with the confidence and ease of range that Joe Lynn Turner mastered decades ago. There are moments where I think the melodies outstretch the main riffs- the chorus of “Seize The Day” being the clearest example – but overall “Sane & Insanity” keeps momentum firmly on hooks, licks and bouncy songs perfect to pick up a party or for long highway drives with your friends.
It’s downright criminal to me how acts like this only have European or Far Eastern record deals and struggle to gain more than a cult interest in their wares for North America. Take the courage to develop the scene – it’s important to not only keep up with the classics but also spend time and energy investing in the current artists. M.ILL.ION are worth their monetary moniker in terms of consistency and high caliber songwriting. The best may not reinvent the music wheel – they merely know how to roll it that much better, that much stronger, and that much longer.