Review: Sahara – Sahara

Pride & Joy Music (May 29^th, 2026)

Reviewer – Chris O’Connor

Now here is an album that is an absolute joy to revisit. I vividly remember buying this CD from S.T. Records in Dudley back in 2001 after owner Steve Thorley played it over the shop speakers. Within minutes I was completely smitten – and, more than two decades later, I still am.

Sahara were a Swedish AOR outfit built around guitarist Peter Lidström and vocalist Ulrick Lönnqvist, alongside keyboardist Kaspar Dahlqvist, bassist Hazze Wazzén, and drummer Fredrik Winero. Together they crafted a style of melodic rock that sat firmly at the smoother, more sophisticated end of the spectrum, drawing heavily from the West Coast sound perfected by bands such as Toto. At the time, the melodic rock scene was enjoying a particularly fertile period, with acts like Street Talk, Urban Tale, and T’Bell all releasing superb material. As it happens, Steve Thorley happily introduced me to all of them (and a great many more!), and relieved me of a substantial amount of my disposable income in the process! Looking back, I regret none of it.

One of the album’s greatest strengths is undoubtedly the vocal performance of Ulrick Lönnqvist. There is more than a passing resemblance to Steve Lukather in both tone and delivery, which undoubtedly contributed to my immediate connection with the record. His voice possesses a warmth and sincerity that perfectly complements the material, elevating already strong songs into something genuinely memorable. As an interesting footnote, Ulrick has remained active within the melodic rock scene, later collaborating with the likes of Creye, forming the excellent Code Red, and becoming heavily involved with Frontiers SRL.

What strikes me most today is just how well this album has aged. Many releases from the early 2000s inevitably become trapped within the production trends of their era, but Sahara’s debut feels remarkably timeless. The songwriting remains elegant, the performances are consistently excellent, and the arrangements are tasteful throughout. There is a maturity and restraint here that many modern acts would do well to study.

This is certainly not an album for those seeking aggression or extremity. Instead, it offers beautifully crafted melodic rock, rich in atmosphere, melody, and emotional warmth. Every note feels considered, every chorus arrives exactly when it should, and the musicians never sacrifice songcraft in favour of showing off.

Thankfully, Pride & Joy Music have chosen to give this forgotten gem the treatment it so richly deserves, reissuing the album in a strictly limited run of just 500 copies. Trust me when I say that if you have even the slightest affection for classic AOR and West Coast-inspired melodic rock, you need to join the queue now. Put this on during a quiet evening with someone special, pour a glass of something nice, and let the music work its magic. Speaking from experience – it absolutely will.

There is not a single weak link here. This is, in this humble scribe’s opinion, a glittering jewel of an album, ranking among the likes of LA Cowboys, King Of Hearts, and the other long-lost West Coast AOR treasures of that wonderful era. I find myself smiling throughout, simply revelling in the sheer quality of this glorious release. I cannot emphasise enough how timeless and exquisite it truly is. How Sahara never became a household name within the melodic rock world remains a mystery to me – sometimes there really is no such thing as natural justice.

This brilliant album has now been lovingly remastered by Harry Hess of Harem Scarem, allowing 500 more fortunate listeners the opportunity to discover this inspiring piece of AOR, West Coast, and melodic rock history. Offering up eleven sumptuous tracks of musical perfection, I urge you to be among them. Need further encouragement? Album opener ‘Stranger’ could be the best song Toto never wrote, ‘Over And Over’ is achingly beautiful, ‘Silent Rain’ is as perfect a slice of AOR as you are ever likely to hear, ‘Deep Inside’ is a glorious love song, while album closer ‘The Night’ is a shimmering, delicate semi-acoustic ballad. Now do you want it?

If ever an album deserved to be rediscovered by a new generation of melodic rock fans, Sahara is surely it.

Track List: 

1. Stranger
2. Time Is A Healer
3. Over And Over
4. Dreams
5. The Fire
6. Never Say Never
7. Silent Rain
8. Dream Of You
9. Deep Inside
10. What Is Love
11. The Night

Line-up: 

Ulrick Lönnqvist (Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Acoustic Guitar),

Peter Lidström (Electric Guitar, Backing Vocals, Acoustic Guitars),

Fredrik Winero (Drums),

Kaspar Dahlqvist (Keyboards),

Magnus Eliasson & Hazze Wazzén (Bass)