Grand Illusion

Brand New World

Price: 12.75

Review / Notes: After an absence of nearly five years, Swedish pompster’s Grand Illusion return to the fray with yet another slice of finely tuned bombastic melodrama. Originally known as Promotion – a name under which they independently released a brace of albums in the late 90’s – Grand Illusion first sashayed across our radar screens in the spring of 2001. Proffering an unashamedly pomp fuelled, monster hook laden brand of AOR the likes of which hadn’t been heard since the Terra Nova debut some five years earlier, debut album ‘The Book Of How To Make It’ was a bit of a revelation. For years we’d been told that soaring melodies and upbeat songs were something to be ashamed of, yet here was a band who positively celebrated it! Word spread like wildfire amongst the diehard AOR community, and soon Grand Illusion were being feted as the new Messiah’s – well, perhaps not quite! After repackaging and reissuing the two Promotion album’s under the Grand Illusion banner, their then record company (Escape) picked up their option and released two more new studio offerings – ‘View From The Top’ in 2002, and ‘Ordinary Just Won’t Do’ some two years later – both overflowing with the same joyous brand of soaring harmonies first presented on the debut. Then, in 2005 they decided to call a halt to pursue other projects (the one off releases by both Decoy and Code are well worth tracking down), but now multi-instrumentalist / songwriter Anders Rydholm, along with vocalists Per Svensson and Peter Sundell have decided the time is right to resurrect Grand Illusion. Enlisting the services of top notch guest players such as Gregg Bissonette, Mike Slamer, Danny Jacob and Tim Pierce (amongst others), latest album ‘Brand New World’ certainly picks up the gauntlet laid down by its predecessor. I’ve always thought that the mix of Per’s and Peter’s voices is one of the best in melodic hard rock, and once again the multilayered harmonies do not disappoint. But more than, there’s a wonderfully uplifting, I guess some might even venture spiritual karma to proceedings which makes bouncy upbeat tracks such as ‘Playing With Fire’, ‘Never Find Her Alone’, ‘Sacrifice’ and ‘Warning Signs’ all the more vibrant. Brash, bombastic and choc full of subliminally overblown guitar / keyboard runs (did I mention the humungous vocals?), ‘Brand New World’ is bound to put a broad smile on all but the dourest of faces – yet another cracking comeback! (D.Cockett)