The Poodles from Sweden is one
of these bands that always deliver high quality hard
rock. Samuel Jakobsson is born with one of the best
hard rock voices in the genre. He was a drummer in
the amazing band Talisman before he took over the
microphone-stand in The Poodles. Where he managed to
contribute and create a story of success
that just seems to continue.
Their purebred melodic hard rock does not surprise
me anymore. Nowadays, I expect that they will
deliver a disc with ultraclean and powerful vocal
performance and charming guitars in entertaining
melodies that are very catchy. Half-way into the
album, all my eventual doubts are totally
vanished. This is one of their strongest albums, if
not their absolute most complete disc ever.
'Tour de Force' has several songs that sounds both
tougher and rougher than on previous productions.
Meanwhile the radio-friendly rock songs that should
appeal the faithful Poodle fans are of course
also represented. 'Tour de Force' contains hard, powerful,
technical metal songs and emotional, beautiful melodic rock
ballads and they are all packed
in a top-notch production.
This is their seventh studio album and they continue to walk into a more mature and heavy hard
rock. It feels like they have found a stability and
harmony in the band, which feels straight through
all thirteen tracks. It swings of joy and it is
quivering of rock harmonies.
The bonus track is the official Swedish team song
for the 2013 World Championships of Ice Hockey, "En
För Alla Alla För En"!
Top tracks; 'Shut Up', 'Happily Ever After', 'Kings
& Fools', 'Going Down' and 'Now Is the Time'
My personal experience when I've seen The Poodles on
stage is that they are a very entertaining and
colourful live band and I hope that I'll have a
opportunity to see them again soon.
A very nice piece of work and a given purchase
if you are a true hard rock fan...
Line up:
Jakob Samuel - Vocals
Christian Lundqvist - Drums
Pontus Egberg - Bass
Henrik Bergqvist - Guitar
