MEMORIA AVENUE – Memoria Avenue
- Posted on 27-11-2021
This Norwegian band is a new addition to the melodic rock scene and their self-titled debut effort is a rather slick and highly polished affair with roots firmly planted in 80s-inspired AOR. While these guys are obviously skilled musicians, the majority of songs on the disc are unfortunately somewhat forgettable and there is neither a palpable sense of excitement nor any huge thrills to be found here. The musicianship is certainly competent and very, very good, but the record lacks energy, spark, and variety, and it simply feels too safe and predictable.
Having said that, "The Air That I Breath" is a nicely crafted tune with a memorable chorus to it and "Someday" is a catchy piece with a solid drive to it, and some appealing melodies and elegant vocal hooks do pop up at regular intervals, but overall, the compositions are slightly derivative, and it really does feel as if one has listened to them countless times before simply because they sound so similar to numerous other tracks by other artists out there. I would have welcomed some more depth and atmosphere here too.
In short, "Memoria Avenue" is an unremarkable output that fails to capture the imagination and it lacks a musical identity of its own. if you are fan of melodic rock and AOR, there are better and more dynamic offerings out there for you to explore. Still, it will be interesting to see what they will come up with in the future as the aforementioned "The Air That I Breath" and "Someday" are full of potential and good ideas.