Released by: Electric Lodge
Release Date: Out Now!!!
Genre: Scandanavian Melodic Rock
Links: https://www.facebook.com/nestortheband
Line Up:
Tobias Gustavsson – Vocals
Jonny Wemmenstedt – Guitars
Martin Frejinger – Keyboards
Marcus Åblad – Bass
Mattias Carlsson – Drums
Tracklist:
1. A Fanfare For The Reliable Rebel (intro)
2. On The Run
3. Kids In A Ghost Town
4. Stone Cold Eyes
5. Perfect 10 (Eyes Like Demi Moore)
6. These Days
7. Tomorrow
8. We’re Not OK
9. Firesign
10. 1989
11. It Ain’t Me
I thought that PERFECT PLAN, H.E.A.T., ONE DESIRE and NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA were the best thing available in picture perfect (Swedish) AOR/Melodic Rock nowadays, but after hearing the sensational first 2 songs on the official debut full-length CD Kids In A Ghost Town of the Swedish band NESTOR, I am actually considering to perhaps call this album one of the finest pure AOR releases in the past 10 years! NESTOR comes (again) out of Sweden and their sound fits somewhere between the aforementioned bands, yet what makes them standout is the superb vocalwork of singer Tobias Gustavsson! The band was originally formed all the way back in 1989, released a few EPs somewhere along the way during the 1990s, but it took them a pandemic to actually record and release a full-length album. The rest of the line-up consists of Jonny Wemmenstedt (guitar), Martin Frejinger (keyboards), Marcus Åblad (bass) and Mattias Carlsson (drums), and there are (not counting the intro) in total 10 songs on the album, and from start to finish this is the ultimate dream for any AOR/Melodic Rockfan out there, so forgot all those wanna-be acts on FRONTIERS RECORDS, because NESTOR is the real deal! Those first 2 songs (On The Run and Kids In A Ghost Town) absolutely belong to the best you can get in Classic 80s uptempo hookladen AOR, so it’s as good as NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA or PERFECT PLAN, only with (perhaps) even stronger lead vocals, so NESTOR is the ultimate band to check out if you’re into that classic 80s AOR sound!
Following track Stone Cold Eyes has a real 80s Scandi Melodic Rocksound that finds its way somewhere between TREAT, DAVINCI and DALTON, including a very catchy chorus. Perfect 10 (Eyes Like Demi Moore) is the way we like it, so yes indeed Perfect 10 AOR again here, with a certain SURVIVOR meets FORTUNE’s 1985 classic debut sound (especially during the bridge and sensational dut-dut keyboard driven chorus). It never crossed my mind that a song about DEMI MOORE would become one of my favorite songs, but NESTOR succeeds here and makes me wonder if Demi herself will ever hear the song! These Days is big-time bombastic midtempo AOR/Melodic Rock, with a slight TOTO grooviness slipping through, although the Arena Rock chorus shouter makes you long back to the times when BON JOVI and EUROPE were on top of the charts! A huge surprise follows, because none-other than 80s pin-up pop princess SAMANTHA FOX sings a duet with Tobias during the 80s Power Melodic Rock Ballad Tomorrow. Next track We Are Not OK is a semi-AOR Ballad masterpiece where everything sounds perfect again, including an amazing bombastic massive chorus, so here they are delivering the goods big time as if we’re listening to a classic JOURNEY or SURVIVOR semi-ballad. The most rocking tune follows in the shape of the lovely uptempo AOR/Melodic Rocker Firesign. 1989 has a cool 80s American Radio intro, while the song itself is a great uptempo melodic rocker with of course the pure 80s approach again, yet sounding crystal clear and up-to-date for today’s world.
Closing track It Ain’t Me starts with a dialog between ROB LOWE and DEMI MOORE (there she is again!), which starts very calmly and shows the incredible voice strength of Tobias, while the song itself is a great powerful AOR ballad. The choruses on all the songs of the album are CLASSIC AOR HEAVEN, so nothing stands in your way to get this little beauty a.s.a.p., and hopefully soon it will also be released on vinyl.
Written by: Gabor Kleinbloesem
Ratings: Gabor 9/10
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