Frontiers/BAM
THE POODLES are getting to be very Swedish these days. This is the bands fifth full-length effort to date, and they seem to be heading more and more for the Swedish charts. This time around their ESC days are gone so they try the World Championships of Ice Hockey with the bonus track “En För Alla För En” (One for All for One). The band in 2013 are Jakob Samuelsson (still the same ole Jacob Samuel), vocals, Pontus Egberg, bass, Chrstian “Kicken” Lundqvist, drums and Henrik Bergqvist on guitars.
Opener “Misery Loves Company” is quite heavy yet melodic. I remember the vague heartache inof the lyrics but as an opener it´s not enough. VAN HALEN gets a revamp in “Shut Up!” and THE POODLES are back in their heedless metal game. But “Viva Democracy” is back in the fold, the riff is worn and the impression is only ok. Only ok is the remaining feeling of the album. Sure they rise up with their finest shots; the cello spiced-up “Leaving the Past to Pass” has a nice arrangement and works well, the same goes for the cheerful and slightly pop-like “40 Days and 40 Nights”. After that song the album is ok, no more. And the hockey chant? Don´t get me started…
Track List
Misery Loves Company
Shut Up!
Happily Ever After
Viva Democrazy
Going Down
Leaving the Past to Pass
40 Days and 40 Nights
Kings & Fools
Miracle
Godspeed
Now Is the Time
Only Just Begun
www.frontiers.it www.myspace.com/thepoodles
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