Stargazer – Life Will Never Be The Same
Origin: Trondheim / Norway
Release: 03.03.2023
Label: Mighty Music
Duration: 52:27
Genre: Hard Rock / Melodic Heavy Metal
The Norwegian band Stargazer formed in 2008 and released their debut a year later. Until the second album The Sky Is The Limit A full ten years passed and unfortunately, despite good reviews, it was lost in the pandemic. Reason enough for the band to hurry up and join in Life Will Never Be The Same to release the third album.
The fact that the current release is not just any album can be seen from the great production, which the singer Nice André Helgemo and the guitarist Willem Ernstsen took over themselves. Then did the mix Soren Andersonwhich among other things already for Glenn Hughesthe Pretty Maids and Tygers Of Pan Tang has worked.
The name raises great expectations
The band name Stargazer naturally creates parallels to the milestone of Rainbow, which the album will only fulfill to a limited extent. That’s not supposed to mean that Life Will Never Be The Same is not a good album. But neither the voice color nor the way of singing Nice André Helgemo reminded of Ronnie James Dio. The same applies to the guitar work of William Ernestsen who does a great job but doesn’t sound like Ritchie Blackmore. So let’s take it as a show of sympathy.
One separates the aroused expectations and listens Life Will Never Be The Same listen closely, then you will quickly enjoy the mixture of melodic heavy metal and hard rock. The nice thing regarding the current output is that following a good one-two with Can You Conceive It and the rocking one Live My Dream HERE at the beginning the album continues to grow and also increases in colour.
The successful Rock The Sky is not in as much of a hurry as the opening two tracks. Still, it lives up to its name and leaves a pounding deeper impression. The vocal performance also comes into its own and everything is refined with the extended guitar playing. Tendency to voice color Nice André Helgemo in the direction of Queensrÿche. Stargazer have therefore probably been the right choice as support for the tour that is currently taking place Geoff Tate in Northern Europe.
The unexpected scores
Stargazer are versatile and can not only score points loudly. With Live Today there’s an acoustic ballad that’s free of corn and that’s a little later with Heartbroken a rocking goosebump number follows. In between there is Don’t Kill, Will I Come To Heaven and Turn Off The Light well-played and radio-ready but predictable ear-fodder.
Right atmosphere comes with Beyond The Moon on. The instrumental carries a dash of blues and might also be from Gary Moore Date from the late 1980s. William Ernestsen gives us five wonderful minutes on the guitar. He plays with so much sensitivity and the more you listen to the album, the more you look forward to this song.
Potential in the second row
The title Take Me Home already suggests that another ballad is coming up. Stargazer bring this across very well, dominated by the vocals and the guitar. There might be further potential of the band hidden here. The rhythm section and the keyboards work perfectly, but only in the second row behind vocals and the presented guitar.
Finally rock Stargazer once more in mid-tempo. Not just the last track Push Me reminds me of the great feats of great US bands. And when I think of names like Aerosmith and VanHalen think, then that’s really not a bad reference for Life Will Never Be The Same.
The album will be released digitally, on CD and as a double LP limited to 500 black copies.
Conclusion
Stargazer have delivered a very good melodic hard rock record. The vocals and the guitars characterize the album and dominate the rhythm section and keyboards. The unexpected numbers score especially and give Life Will Never Be The Same an additional color that make the disc grow even more with each pass. 8 / 10
Line Up
Tore André Helgemo – vocals, rhythm guitar
William Ernstsen – lead and rhythm guitar
Sondre Bjerkset – Keyboard instruments
Svend Skogheim – drums
Jomar Johansen – Bass
Tracklist
01. Can You Conceive It
02. Live My Dream
03. Rock The Sky
04. Live Today
05. Don’t Kill
06. Will I Come To Heaven
07. Heartbroken
08. Turn Off The Light
09. Beyond The Moon
10. Take Me Home
11. Push Me
Links
Stargazer website
Facebook Stargazer
Instagram Stargazer
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