That's it, I'm moving to Sweden!
Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 06/20/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I ran across a fairly inexpensive copy of Still Alive, the 2004 album from Swedish melodic metal band Tears of Anger, so I decided to give the band a try. After all, that's how I discovered Last Tribe, and I'm now a huge fan of that band. Besides, it's pretty rare that I'm ever disappointed with a Swedish melodic rock/metal album.
Musically, Tears of Anger's sound is like a streamlined version of the keyboard oriented progressive metal sound. The song structures are somewhat progressive, though without the excessive instrumental passages of that genre. The vocals have a Jorn/David Coverdale feel to them (never a bad thing), though they aren't quite at that level. The whole sound could be described as ARK lite.
Still Alive doesn't immediately grab you like a Last Tribe or ARK album does, but it definitely grows on you each time you spin it. It could benefit from some catchier guitar hooks, but that's a minor complaint. Overall, Still Alive is a very solid melodic metal release that fans of Jorn, Pretty Maids, Last Tribe, ARK, and Pink Cream 69 will no doubt enjoy. It's probably not worth seeking out at a high import price tag, but well worth picking up if you find it on sale.
"
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1