Album Review: Europe – Come This Madness
Silver Lining Music – September 25th, 2026
Reviewer – Jason Hopper
Admittedly, I had no intention of reviewing the new Europe album. Like most genre lovers, I dug the 86-92 era of the band. I also was impressed with their post millennial release ‘Last Look At Eden‘. Judging only by the singles, all album releases after 2009 did nothing for me. It was suggested by Dan that this new album ‘Come Into Madness‘ was something I would quite like. Upon hearing the three singles released, I immediately requested the album. A band I had lost interest in was releasing a potentially fantastic album…and that’s exactly what we have here.
Of the three singles, ‘The Cult of Ignorance’ was the one that made me say, “I need to hear the album that this song came from”. It’s a powerful rocker with a explosive chorus that will blow you to the back of the room. I also love the subtle use of the 12 string in the verses. It adds a nice texture and makes the bombastic chorus more effective in its power. An instant classic.
I’ll skip over the other two singles as, if you’re reading this review, you have probably heard them already. I will say the rest of the album has terrific consistency in terms of song quality.
The title track is a bit complex and dynamic. Similar to ‘The Cult of Ignorance’, the song structure showcases quieter verses with an explosive chorus. I could have done without the slowdown in the tempo after the two-minute mark, as it goes on for 45 seconds and temporarily grinds the song to a halt. It does pick up again after that, so it’s not too much a deterrent.
There were two songs that did not thrill me. One was the ballad ‘This Time of Year’. The music is good, but I always deduct mental points when verses, or in this case chorus lines, don’t rhyme. The words seem mashed together and don’t flow rhymically. It’s jarring to me. This is going to come off as petty to some, but I am just being honest.
Another song that had potential, squanders it due to its length. ‘In The Absence of Grace’ is a ballad with a piano and orchestral backing. Very soft in its buildup, it reaches a crescendo that you believe will kick into a second verse or chorus…only to end. The song is 1:28 in length, serving more as an interlude than a song. I always question why bands do silly things like this. At the very least, they could have added it to the beginning of another song if they liked the feel of it. As a standalone it’s unnecessary.
The album concludes with a bang. Track 10’s ‘The Devil’s Back’ utilizes the same effective formula found on other songs. A subtle tone to the verses, a bridge buildup, then an explosive chorus with all of the amps cranked. That dynamic range gives the songs a sing along sweet spot to a heavy blues rocker that one cannot resist.
Album closer ‘Nothing Can Follow This’ has several melody changes that are so interesting that I don’t mind as much that, once again, there’s a chorus that does have words that rhyme. If James Bond had a heavy melodic rock theme song in one of his movies, it would sound like this. The famous opening credits to that franchise were envisioned while I listened with my eyes closed.
I am going to have to live with this album for a bit and will need to check out some of their more recent releases, but as it stands now, this is the strongest release from the band since ‘Prisoners In Paradise’. I loved ‘Last Look at Eden’ and a few tracks from there are my favorite songs from the band, but this album is more consistent. Fans should be proud that the band still has the ability to release new quality material forty plus years since their debut. With many of our genre rockers stepping up to the doors of retirement, Europe sounds like a band that still has a lot to say.
Track List:
- One On One
- The Cult of Ignorance
- Come This Madness
- This Time of Year
- In A Different World
- Scandinavian Eyes
- Takin’ It Back
- In The Absence of Grace
- The Angels Must Have Flown
- The Devil’s Back
- Nothing Can Follow This
Line-up:
Joey Tempest – Lead Vocals
John Norum – Guitars
John Levén – Bass
Mic Michaeli – Keyboards
Ian Haugland – Drums
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