Flashback CD Review #34 - Alien - Dark Eyes

This review was written for the Rock Is Life.com website in 2005.

Alien

Dark Eyes

Frontiers Records - 2005

http://www.alien-music.info

What's The 4-1-1?

The reunited Swedish rockers are back with their 5th studio album, bringing the classic "pop rock" sound full circle.

Genre

Melodic Rock / Hard Rock / Pop Rock

The Good

Before I was a heavy metal maniac, I was a Top 40 kind of guy. When I say Top 40, I mean back in the 1980's when the Top 40 chart represented a cross-section of many musical genres. One of my favorite groups then (and now as well) was Survivor. To me, they were the preeminent "pop rock" band. While Alien definitely stands on their own, I found that while listening to Dark Eyes I was reminded of Survivor repeatedly. Classy melodic rockers, power ballads that incorporated the "power" not just the "ballad" and big bold choruses.

The title track opens the album and its a decent rocker, but as you get deeper into the album it gets even better. The song "Fallen Eagle" is a pretty rocking track, but the guitar solo is what really made me take notice.

The ballads "Oh Sarah" and "Sherylee" are reminiscent of the classic 80's ballads. Instead of being songs that grate on my nerves as a lot of ballads have been doing lately, these are actually pretty good. The standout tracks for me would be "Wild One" and "Are You Ready". Each song features a harder edged very guitar oriented sound.

The Bad

Not too much to complain about here. While I liked the guitar work in the song "Riding With The Wind", I didn't care much for the song overall. The same could be said for "Lethal Woman".

The Verdict

I don't know why it took so long for Jim Jidhed and Tony Borg to find their way back to each other as songwriting partners, but I am actually glad they did. They have a certain vibe in the 11 songs on this album that shines bright and clear. This is a surprisingly good album that has the best of the 80's melodic rock sound, yet has a modern day feel to it doesn't come across as dated.

Did You Know?

Dark Eyes is the first album to feature Jim Jidhed's vocals since the band's self-titled debut album in 1987. The reunion between Jidhed and guitarist Tony Borg got started when they met up with each other in Gothenburg, Sweden in early 2004. The band covered the Bee Gee's song "Only One Woman" in 1988 and their version spent 6 weeks at #1 on the Swedish charts.

Rating: 4 out of 5