I started listening to this Swedish band in the 80's when they became rather big in my homeland. I liked their mix of hardrock and funk and still do. This comebackalbum have some really good songs but unfortunately there are some songs that don't put up to standard and lowers the final score. This album is their first in 16 years. Conny Bloom and Andy Christell has played with Hanoi Rocks in their final years before they called it quits.

1)Reeferlord (9,0) A hell of a start! Fast and heavy mixed with funky breaks and a strong refrain. God stuff!

2)My hearts not for sale (8,0) What they do best; funk and hardrock. It rocks and grooves!

3)Father popcorns magic oyster (5,5) Nice and funky in some parts but some weird parts and a strange refrain destroys the song.

4)Angel in an armoured suit (8,5) A good hardrocking song with a nice drive!

5)Ten thousand times goodbye (6,0) Not a ballad but a soft song with a melodic choir-kind-of chorus.

6)The house is rockin' (7,0) Funky!

7)Welcome to the high times (7,5) Heavy and funky and good!

8)Sometimes u gotta go look for the car (7,5) Well, that's all they sing in this one. A nice groovy song with a steady heavy rhytmh. Charming!

9)Put your arms around me (7,5) Cool riff and melodic refrain.

10)The day the gypsies came to town (7,0) Strange rhythm and nice guitarpicking.

11)Rollin' down the road (6,5) Another funky rocker. Good at first but then it gets soft and repetitive.

12)A mother of a love story (8,0) Great ending!

Score: 7,33

Conny Bloom-vocals, guitars (b.1964)

Franco Santunione-guitars

Andy Christell-bass

Niclas Sigevall-drums

www.electricboys.com

Sator has played together since the end of the 70's but has not released that many albums but has always been popular among swedish rockfans. They play, and has always played, a kind of punky Ramones-like dirty rocknroll with melodic hooks and refrains and has during the years had a good reputation as a kick-ass live-act.

Chips has played with Joakim Thåström and has produced several band like Hellacopters, Sahara Hotnights and Millencolin. Heikki Kiviaho has played with Ingo & Floyd, Whale, Joakim Thåström and Lisa Miskovsky and is also a producer.

1)Your up gets me down (7,5) Fast,heavy and catchy, just the way Sator has always been. Good opener that sets the standard.

2)Drive through the night (8,0) Midtempo punky song with good melody and refrain. Very much o-o-o I look just like Buddy Holly, the song by Weezer.

3)S.T.S. (8,0) Yeah! Sweaty and dirty rocknroll!

4)Tonight is the night (7,0) Midtempo song with a simple riff and as usual a melodic refrain.

5)Wanted: Hope and pride before I die (7,0) A sweet midtempotune with cute refrain.

6)When you lie down with dogs (8,0) Rocknroll! Love it. Fast and crazy.

7)Under the radar (8,0) Slow, heavy and unpolished.

8)The get out. (8,0) Another punky rocker.

9)You've got blood on your hands (7,5) A Hives-like punky stomper.

10)Were all gonna die (7,5) Rocknroll.

11)Love bells (7,0) A ballad!

Score: 7,50

Chips Kiesbye-vocals, guitar (b.1963)

Kent Norberg-vocals, guitar (b.1965)

Heikki Kiviaho-bass (b.1966)

Micke Solén-drums

Hans Gäfvert-keyboards

www.sator.se

A band from the industrytown of Hofors, Sweden. This is their 2nd album and they play a kind of much heard-before lightweight punk-hardrock with a poppy approach. They do it fairly good though.

1)Blessed with a burden (8,0) Very good start. Intensive, melodic and happy good-feeling summer radiorock.

2)High noon (6,5) Good refrain but otherwise rather boring.

3)Halo (7,5) A nice melodic powerballad.

4)Awake (6,5) Okey but too mellow and sweet after a ballad.

5)Rib caged (7,0) Nice riff and an exploding refrain and blistering guitarsolo.

6)Miracles (7,5) A good rocksong while driving the car!

7)Ghost (7,5) An energic song with very good refrain. I like the heavy riffing at the end.

8)Honesty (8,0) A very nice calm song with wonderful melodic singing.

9)When silence sleeps (7,0) An okey punk-popsong.

10)Vade mecum (6,5) A slow and melodic song with both acoustic and electric guitar.

11)All this time (7,0) A mix of heavy and soft stuff.

Score: 7,18

Tomas Andersson-vocals, guitar

Mattias Klein-guitar

Mattias Johansson-bass

Patrik Nyman-drums

www.itchydaze.com

A hardcore metalband from Sweden formed in 1996. They have through their carrier played a very non-melodic hardcore-metal with influences from death metal but on this album they have got softer so even I can find some good songs on it. Before I have had problems listening to their music which I have'nt found too good. I don't mind the music beeing hard, but there need to be some good songs and they havent got that until now. The have even followed the trend of mixing progressive elements into their music. Maybe that's what bands need to stay popular, too follow the trends? The twinbrothers Anders and Jonas Björler earlier played with At The Gates and Patrik Jensen also plays in Witchery and has played with Satanic Slaughter. Peter Dolving has been a member of Mary Beats Jane.

1)Never better (7,0) Porcupine Tree-influenced progressive metal mixed with american style modern metal.

2)No ghost (7,0) Pantera rip-off but a good heavy song.

3)Catch 22 (7,0) More progressive stuff and that continues through the album.

4)Disappear (7,5)

5)Motionless (7,0)

6)Unseen (7,0)

7)The skull (7,0)

8)Ocean park (-)

9)The city (5,5)

10)Them (7,0)

11)All ends well (6,5)

12)Done (7,0)

Score: 6,86

Peter Dolving-vocals (b.1969)

Patrik Jensen-guitar

Anders Björler-guitar (f.1973)

Jonas Björler-bass (f.1973)

Per Möller Jensen-drums (f.1973)

www.the-haunted.com