┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │■ ■│ │ .-/ .-. │ │ _.-~ / ___ | ~-._ │ │ \:/ -~| / __/| .\:/ │ │ / || (:/:| \ │ │ / /\/| |:\___\| |\ \ │ │ / /:::|.::/:::/:.|:\ \ │ │ / /:::/ \\/:::/::/:::\ \ │ │ / .::\ \-~~~~-/\/:.. \ │ │ /..:::::\ /:::::..\ │ │ /::::::::- -::::::::\ │ │ \:::::-~ ~-:::::/ │ │ \:-~ ~-:/ │ │ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ P R E S E N T S │ │ │ │ │ │ + Damned Nation - Grand Design + │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Information ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Release Date.Feb-02-2014 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │ │║ Genre........Hard Rock Graber.......EAC ║ │ │║ Year.........2000 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........11 ║ │ │║ Covers.......Yes Url... n/a ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Notes ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Artist : Damned Nation Rating : You Decide! ║ │ │║ Album : Grand Design Label : Z ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Description : ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ This is the guys' 3rd album, 2nd for Z Records ║ │ │║ after their last record Road Of Desire. ║ │ │║ On Grand Design, the band, once again led by ║ │ │║ guitarist Roger Warnqvist and vocalist Thomas ║ │ │║ Thorsen, are heading further into developing ║ │ │║ their own sound and doing their best to top ║ │ │║ their last 2 albums. ║ │ │║ Road Of Desire was certainly better than their ║ │ │║ debut, but when I reviewed it I mentioned that ║ │ │║ the production is OK, but on the heavier numbers ║ │ │║ the sound tended to be muddied a little. ║ │ │║ There are a few differences now on Grand Design. ║ │ │║ Firstly the production and mix is clearly ║ │ │║ better. ║ │ │║ The band is also not trying as hard to be heavy ║ │ │║ rockers. The last album was quite melodic, but ║ │ │║ maybe over shadowed a little by guitars and a ║ │ │║ rhythm section that were too heavy. ║ │ │║ On this album, the band is in a more comfortable ║ │ │║ groove and the songs are more balanced. I think ║ │ │║ the album has easily got a more melodic edge to ║ │ │║ it and the band compliment the vocals, rather ║ │ │║ than try to compete with them. ║ │ │║ Thomas is singing great here, bringing more of ║ │ │║ his pop edge when he sings like Eric Martin of ║ │ │║ Mr. Big and mixing it with his heavy tones, when ║ │ │║ he tends to compare with David Coverdale. ║ │ │║ And overall the songs here are stronger then the ║ │ │║ guys last albums. They are getting better with ║ │ │║ each release, which is what a fan or listener ║ │ │║ hopes for. ║ │ │║ The opening three tracks are all great hook ║ │ │║ filled upbeat heavy AOR that will go down very ║ │ │║ well with most. ║ │ │║ Fortuneteller is a darker and moodier number ║ │ │║ that leads well into the first ballad of the ║ │ │║ album, as that track Desperate Call is also ║ │ │║ quite moody. The chorus has a great bridge ║ │ │║ leading into it. ║ │ │║ Eyes Of A Stranger and Hands Of Time are tracks ║ │ │║ where the band try and be heavier than what ║ │ │║ probably suits them best, but it's works pretty ║ │ │║ well, no doubt due to the better production. ║ │ │║ Going Crazy is a good ballad with some great ║ │ │║ crunch guitar and solid backing vocals. ║ │ │║ Just when you start to think maybe the first ║ │ │║ half of the album is better than the second, ║ │ │║ songs like Scream Of Anger and Love Reaction ║ │ │║ move back towards the more melodic AOR style. ║ │ │║ Dance In Darkness ends the album, but lacks a ║ │ │║ little compared to some of the better tracks of ║ │ │║ the album. ║ │ │║ BOTTOM LINE: The best tracks of the album are ║ │ │║ certainly the first 5, but overall this is an ║ │ │║ improvement again on the last album and ║ │ │║ therefore the guy's best yet. A better ║ │ │║ production and mix is coupled with better songs ║ │ │║ and a more melodic style that really suits the ║ │ │║ band and vocalist Thomas. Any fan of the band is ║ │ │║ going to be happy with this, as will any fans of ║ │ │║ European melodic hard rock. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Tracklist ║ │ │╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │ │ │ │ 01 - Stonecold Woman [05:08] │ │ 02 - Hiding From the World [04:54] │ │ 03 - Heart On The Run [04:24] │ │ 04 - Fortune-teller [04:28] │ │ 05 - Desperate call [05:06] │ │ 06 - Eyes Of A Stranger [04:00] │ │ 07 - Hands Of Time [03:46] │ │ 08 - Going Crazy [04:55] │ │ 09 - Scream Of Anger [05:03] │ │ 10 - Love Reaction [04:57] │ │ 11 - Dance In Darkness [05:10] │ │ │ │ Total Length : [51:51 minn │ │ │ │ │ │ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ╔═════════════════════╗ │ │ ║ Greetings To: ║ │ │ ╚═════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ Too all people who contributes to make this │ │ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │■ ■│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘