Solna Eurameric
by Derric Miller
Staff Writer
Zane Peterson is batting right around 1.000 of late. In 2008, he was part of one of the best projects of the year for his part in China Blue. Who would have thought that after working with Tony Mills, Eric Ragno, Doug Odell and Josh Ramos in China Blue, he already had another project in the works, featuring more renowned musicians as Pamela Moore, Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear), Fabrizio Grossi (Starbreaker, Steve Vai, etc.), Alex De Rosso (Dokken, Headrush), Rob DeLuca (Spread Eagle, Sebastian Bach), Tim Harris (Game Hens, Malicious), Eric Ragno (China Blue, David Readman, Vox Tempus, etc.), and Phil Vincent (solo).
Like China Blue, Solna came together with a number of players, yet thanks in part to Moore’s vocal prowess and overall presence, it certainly is one cohesive journey. She brings Eurameric to life, and sings the heaviest she’s ever sung — and it’s awesome.
Eurameric begins with a phone call on the intro set up “Ms. Eurameric,” and this blasts into the first full track, “Blinded by the Rain.” De Rosso blazes into a sick riff, and Moore wails with power and control; she even accompanies herself on the layered backing vocals. While the CD liner touts Solna’s devotion to the ’80s, the music and songwriting doesn’t sound dated. From the wicked bass pummeling to De Rosso’s volcanic leads and solos, “Blinded by the Rain” is a shockingly strong introduction to the band’s sound.
“Where Are You Running” definitely flaunts a Dokken-type riff-fest, metallic and melodic, and guest bassist De Luca proves why he made the project as well, his deft expertise all over the track. “Where Are You Running” sounds exactly like a Heart hit song—yeah, that’s the kind of singers you have to compare Moore to.
For sheer fun, the slower “Feel Alive” is one of the best songs on the release, mostly because Scheepers sings a duet with Moore, and he’s vocally crazy, in a complimentary way. When they start trading lines, the fierce Scheepers Power Metal screams are about the exact opposite of Moore’s silky delivery. This is the same equation that makes the concoction Jim Beam/7Up so damn good …
It’s no surprise that Moore channels Geoff Tate at times, and you’ll hear the same sort of precise enunciation as Tate on the verses to “Woman in Love.” This isn’t a ballad, though, but a heated Rock anthem, somewhat sultry yet mostly foreboding. The chorus is one massive groove, and all together, it’s another wicked facet to the release.
While “Feel Alive” should be a hit song, odds are that “Light a Candle” will be a hit. This is one of the mellowest compositions on Eurameric, and you’ll be reminded of Heart again at times. Ragno gets to lead the song with his flawless keyboard stylings, and Moore ends up stealing the show during the chorus, with the simple yet effective refrain of “Don’t fade away, I’m sending my love to you,” echoing in your head for maybe even days after hearing it just once.
Eurameric ends with “Dreams,” another track featuring Ragno’s keys, and another ballad. Tim Harris plays fretless bass on “Dreams,” and Petersen allows himself some powerful fills, although never once on the release does he overplay the drums.
The album has been building steam and will see an April release. For those who are just curious, then get that curiosity piqued. Eurameric is another stellar project, and the odds were that with these high-caliber musicians recording such quality songs, they surely couldn’t fail. But none of them would dare imagine Solna would turn out this good.
Label: Wild Recordz
Track listing:
1. Ms. Euremeric
2. Blinded By The Rain
3. Celebrate
4. Where Are You Running
5. Feel Alive
6. Someone Else
7. Moment Of Truth
8. Woman In Love
9. Light A Candle
10. Sent From Heaven
11. Dreams
HRH Rating: 8.3/10