Last Autumn’s Dream A Touch of Heaven
by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer
A Touch of Heaven is the seventh studio album from (mostly) Swedish melodic rockers Last Autumn’s Dream. The band, which features singer/songwriter Mikael Erlandsson alongside former Fair Warning guitarist Andy Malecek and Talisman drummer Jamie Borger, had an unfortunate lineup change recently when bassist Marcel Jacob (also of Talisman) killed himself. Former Treat 4-stringer Nalley Pahlsson was brought in to take Jacob’s spot. So now you’ve got a melodic rock band that’s 75% Swedish, 25% German, features former members of Fair Warning, Treat and Talisman, and has Jeff Scott Soto to lend a hand with backing vocals. How can you not be excited about A Touch of Heaven?
The numbers alone give you a pretty good idea what to expect from A Touch of Heaven. It’s 75% Treat and 25% Fair Warning, which makes it 100% melodic rock goodness. It has that impeccable Swedish sense of melody as well as a guitar tone that recalls Fair Warning’s distinctly German sound. It’s almost like a scientist cooked this up in a lab. Erlandsson sounds absolutely terrific, and proves once again why he should be considered one of the genre’s finest singer/songwriters. He has a great range, plenty of power, and just the right amount of emotion, sounding every bit as sincere on party rockers like “Top of the World” as he does on tender love songs like “Candle In the Dark.” It doesn’t hurt that he’s singing against a backdrop of Malecek’s guitar prowess and a tight rhythm section of Pahlsson and Borger.
A Touch of Heaven may be Last Autumn’s Dream’s best work to date. Aside from the doo-woppy “See My Baby Jive” the whole album is one great melodic rock song after another. And you have to love the band’s spirited cover of the Cheap Trick staple “Surrender.” It’s just one of those songs that every melodic rock band should be required to cover at some point.
This one’s easy to recommend. If you like European melodic rock, A Touch of Heaven needs to go to the top of your “must buy” list.
Label: Escape Music
Lineup:
Michael Erlandsson – Lead Vocals, Keyboards
Andy Malecek – Guitars
Nalley Pahlsson – Bass
Jamie Borger – Drums
Track Listing
1. Heaven and Earth
2. Caught In Between
3. Top Of the World
4. Candle In the Dark
5. Come Rain or Shine
6. Heartbreaker
7. Last Mistake
8. See My Baby Jive
9. Renegade
10. What’s On Your Mind
11. How Long
12. Surrender
13. Running On Like Water
14. Jenny’s Eyes
Online: www.myspace.com/lastautumnsdream
Hardrock Haven Rating: 8/10