Don’t know what it is, but it seems Sweden is the “go to” country when you want some uplifting melodic rock. S.A.Y. consists of Peter Grundström on vocals and Jan Akesson on guitars, keyboards, bass and backing vocals, with guesting on drums Jens Westberg. Without sounding like a copy, I think the music of Westworld and Grand Illusion is a good reference as to what you will get, especially since Grundström sounds somewhat like Tony Harnell (TNT, Westworld).
The problem with most bands in the genre, at least in my humble opinion, is that they try too much to sound like carbon copies of the greats. This results in albums that sound familiar but, because of the lack of original ideas, rarely surprise. Sometimes you can draw out a song before it’s finished, and that is not really what I am looking for.
So it is nice to see that S.A.Y. have managed to avoid that. Yes the music is melodic, the solos sharp, the vocals supported with harmonies all over the place, but the songs still sound fresh and with enough power in them to pack a punch. So it is easy to see why Melodic Rock Records was eager to release it. For me a highly entertaining album so if you are a fan of the genre, surely something to check out.
