Review: Roulette – Go!
Black Lodge (July 25th, 2025)
Reviewer – Jason Hopper
You know a song is great when you remember where you were and what you were doing the first time you heard it. For me, that applies to the band Roulette. I was at work in the Summer of 2015 when I clicked onto a recommended video for the song ‘Secret Room’ and was blown away by this exquisite ballad. Then…nothing…for four long years.
Finally in 2019, they released their debut album, which ended up being one of my favorite albums of that year. Since that time, outside of the occasional odd single, I did not think the band was particularly active and certainly not making an album, but surprise surprise I find myself taken aback with news of a new album on the horizon.
For those not familiar, the band is an upbeat, feel-good euro melodic dynamo. There are a truly underrated band in a genre that in and of itself is underrated.
With excitement, I downloaded the album as soon as I could. It’s been six long years, but opening track ‘Answer To My Prayers’ is everything I was hoping it could be. An ode to gratitude for being blessed with a companion, this optimistic AOR rocker has a chord progression not far removed from Harem Scarem, so much so that if you told me this song is a cover from them, I would believe you. I played it several times before moving on to other tracks. Fantastic!
There are winning tracks throughout so I’ll mention a few of my favorites.
‘Don’t Be Sorry’ is a strong Firehouse meets Def Leppard amalgamation. The melody line is reminiscent of Lep track ‘Promises’ and that immediately pulled me in and I was won over by its infectious chorus. Straight up early 90s vibe that brought me back to the glory days of discovering a plethora of bands at the start of my rock obsession.
While the album has an overall uplifting tone to it, I appreciate the darker vibe of the Europe-inspired ‘Strangers’. With lyrics of rekindling a lost romance, the combo of desperate passion and aggression is killer.
‘Brand New Start’ is quite interesting as its thumping opening beat and guitar tone denote a darker track that builds to an uplifting chorus. Very well constructed.
Keyboards take to the forefront for ‘She Can’t Hide’ and are used to great effect, sprinkled sparingly to accent parts of the song. It adds a layer that is not present in other tracks and brings warmth to a track that lyrically deals with hidden pain.
I have to take the time to show my admiration to lead singer Thomas Lundgren. The man has great vibrato and control. He’s not a flashy, screaming-type singer. He has range limitations, but makes the most of it with his accentuations and clarity. He’s not a singer that requires the listener to read a lyrics sheet to follow along with the song. His enunciations are clear and strong.
The one song it took a bit to warm to was lead single ‘Fire In Your Eyes’. It’s a solid mid-tempo rocker but the chorus initially was a letdown as I expected some type of chord lift, but it doesn’t come. Subsequent replays had me humming the tune and I like the way Mr. Lundgren carries and accents the words in the chorus. It would not have been my first choice as a single as I believe most other songs here are stronger.
This album is a straight through listen, consistent and enjoyable. It’s on par with their 2019 debut, there are no tracks I would skip. Surprisingly, the album has no ballads, which is something I would have expected. While I would have appreciated that change-up, the album is not held back by its omission. If you heard their debut, this is a must purchase. If not, then purchase both. So glad these gentlemen have returned.
Tracklist:
- Answer To My Prayers
- Fire In Your Eyes
- We Remember You
- Strangers
- What Are We Looking For
- Take Me As I Am
- Brand New Start
- Don’t Be Sorry
- She Can’t Hide
- Better Walk Away
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