Jorn Lande – Heavy Rock Radio Release Date: June 3, 2016 Label: Frontiers Music Srl
Jorn Lande is without a doubt “the” voice of heavy metal for this generation. When I think to myself, “Who’s going to be here to carry the torch when Dickinson and Halford are no longer able to?”, the answer always comes back to one name: Jorn Lande. Jorn is metal. Just one listen to his voice and you will know exactly what I mean. His voice is so powerful, so distinct, and c’mon how can anyone with a voice that sounds like the half Ronnie James Dio and half classic David Coverdale not fucking rule?
Jorn Lande has returned to the forefront with a new album of covers that he has dubbed “Heavy Rock Radio.” I usually can’t stand covers albums but the thing with Jorn is that when he does a cover, he keeps it very true to the original all while making it his own song. The album opens up with a shocking cover of the Frida classic, “There’s Something Going On.” It’s amazing hearing this song done as a metal song because it really works so much better than the original in my opinion. “Rev on the Red Line” is an absolutely amazing song and honestly, as much as I hate Foreigner, Jorn has taken this song and made it a fucking monstrous song.
Another pleasant surprise was Jorn’s take on the Paul Stanley song, “Live to Win.” Hearing this song done by Jorn really showcases the strength of this song lyrically. “Don’t Stop Believing” took that song out of Journey’s hands and gave it back to them sounding more like a metal masterpiece. The album’s showstopper though was Jorn’s take on the Kate Bush classic, “Running Up that Hill.” In my opinion this is the most unpredictable yet the highest point of this record. What an amazing take on this song. Jorn sounds so connected and passionate that one could believe that he wrote this song himself. There is something magical about this song that sticks out high above the rest of the tracks on the album. Add to that stellar covers of Maiden’s “The Final Frontier” and the Deep Purple classic, “Stormbringer”, and you have a great
While this album has some extremely awesome moments, there are a few moments that left me scratching my head. His rendition of The Eagles’ “Hotel California” sounded contrived and just not good at all. You’d also think that for someone who did such an amazing tribute album to Dio, he’d nail the fuck out of “Die Young” and “Rainbow in the Dark” but both of these songs lacked any kind of sincere connection. Don’t get me wrong, they didn’t suck but I just didn’t feel anything like I did from the covers on his Dio album. These songs somewhat sounded rushed and Jorn himself didn’t seem to be all that connected or engaged.
Jorn Lande is hands one of my all time favorite modern day metal singers. He possesses everything it takes to be aligned with the greats that inspired him. What I loved about Heavy Rock Radio so much is that not only does it show off Jorn’s abilities as a metal singer but it also shows a lot of diversity in his musical influences and tastes. Finally, as I said before, I love that Jorn manages to take all of these classic songs and make them his very own while staying true and honoring the legacy of these songs. That’s not an easy thing to do but hey, when you’re Jorn Lande, it’s just what you do and you do it well.
I have been running this blog since 2009. AKA as the Great Southern Brainfart, Southeast of Heaven is my baby now and forever. I’ve had my ups and downs with bands over the years but they are all great experiences and memories. My Swedish friend Charlie said once, “Don is known for being one of the meanest bastards in American rock journalism.” It’s nice to be loved.
I also once took a shit in Anthrax’s dressing room toilet and didn’t flush.
