Now here is a pleasant surprise: my favourite Dutch melodic rockers combined with my favourite melodic rock label! And of course the fact that Terra Nova are back once again is a plus in itself. But have they reinvented themselves?
Well the answer is short and simple: no. But is that a bad thing? Again: no. After all, I am quite sure that the people who fell in love with the band before, did that because of the highly melodic brand of rock from these guys. And besides, talented musicians (check for instance Gesuino Derosas guitar playing) as well as nice guys! Well maybe a very small change: in the past some songs turned out to follow quite predictable paths and this time it somehow feels they avoided the all too obvious. Although perhaps not all people will notice that. Band leader, principal songwriter and singer / producer Fred Hendrix still has that knack for writing catchy songs and the band never disappoint in delivering tasty arrangements. Brother Ron again supplies fine keyboards and drummer Lars Beuving provides solid beats as per usual.
Favourite songs are always a matter of personal taste. Opener Meltdown is a typical Terra Nova rocker. A track like the mid tempo Broken grabbed me from first play. Jenna opens with a vintage wurlitzer sound and is sure-fire lighter moment in a live set.
All in all I am tempted to think this is one of their best yet, so thumbs up and let’s hope for a long fruitful journey for both parties!
