Review: Daytona – Garder La Flamme
Escape Music Ltd (October 25th 2024)
Reviewer: Chris O’Connor
This latter part of 2024 has turned into a very good time for Melodic Rock, and with this splendid release on Escape Music the trend continues in glorious fashion. Featuring members of Osukaru, Air Raid, Miss Behaviour, Eclipse, Timescape, Sarea, and Death Wolf, this talented quintet: Fredrik Werner (vocals) Erik Heikne (guitars), Niclas Lindblom (bass guitars), Johan Berlin (keyboards), and Calle Larsson (drums) are purveyors of top notch and beautifully polished AOR/Melodic Rock.
Very simply, what’s not to love here? Perfect musicianship, luscious arrangements, soaring vocals, sumptuous production – Daytona has it all going on in spades! I swear it’s something in the water, as Scandinavian AOR bands always deliver in such effortless style. From the start, the band was determined that they were not just ‘another project’, but something more – based on real passion and a love of ‘80’s AOR, and boy does it ever show!
Vocalist Fredrik Werner has more than a little Steve Overland and Bob Catley in his tone (how can that ever be a bad thing?), having real richness to his voice, his delivery is simply glorious throughout. Musically, the band falls into the Giant, Toto, Signal, and Magnum school of thought – again, this to my mind, makes this an essential purchase, as this heady fusion is the perfect musical blend.
Guitarist Erik Heikne is an absolute gem, whether he’s laying down cool rhythms or firing off killer solos, his playing is always tasteful and never overblown. Keyboardist Johan Berlin adds wonderful swathes of colour and texture to the band’s sound, while the rhythm section of Niclas Lindblom and Calle Larsson lay down a perfect backbeat to drive the music, doing it with style and panache throughout.
From the ‘off’, the album simply shines, the song-writing is absolutely sublime, while the music is delivered with such obvious genuine passion, that it is an absolute joy to experience. As ‘Welcome To The Real World’ opens proceedings, you realise how special this album is going to be. Here is a band who craft amazing songs, with a deftness of touch and a true elegance, that marks them as genuinely special. The wrote songs with huge memorable hooks and amazing choruses.
It’s almost unjust that they weren’t around in the ‘80’s heyday, as almost certainly – Daytona would have been a major success, as it is now, they will be enjoyed by a niche audience – while in a just world, they would be headlining arena shows. There are few albums in this day and age, where every song is a bona fide classic, but such is the case with ‘Garder La Flamme’, which positively overflows with unfettered quality.
Listen to the likes of ‘Through The Storm’ ion all its Pomp glory, the brilliantly emotional ‘Time Won’t Wait’, or the fabulous title track – and I defy you not to fall in love with Daytona … because you simply will. Congratulations to the band, and to Khalil at Escape for snapping them up, because ‘Garder La Flamme’ is easily one of the best albums of 2024, and you simply need to buy it! Completely and utterly essential!
Tracklist:
01. Welcome To The Real World
02. Kelly
03.Through the Storm
04. Downtown
05. Time Won’t Wait
06. Looks Like Rain
07. Town of Many Faces
08. Slave to the Rhythm
09. Garder La Flamme
10. Where Did We Lose The Love
Line-up:
Fredrik Werner – Vocals
Erik Heikne – Guitars
Johan Berlin – Keyboards
Niclas Lindblom – Bass guitar
Calle Larsson – Drums
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