Review ALIEN “When Yesterday Comes Around”

There’s more than one band called Alien, and this review is about the Swedish hard rock outfit that started in 1986. Hailing from Gothenburg, Alien made their debut in 1988. The album, as well as the two longplayers that followed, contain well-crafted hard rock with a very melodic touch.

One of the challenges of Aline is the stability of the line-up. It’s a long list of musicians who have been part of the band from Gothenburg before they found some consistency again in 2010 when the band reunited in the original line-up.

After releasing a pretty good longplayer called “Into The Future”, the Swedes are back with their next work. “When Yesterday Comes Around” is the title of an AOR-based longplayer that hits the sweet spot of rocking guitar power and catchy melodies. This becomes apparent as soon as you hear the opener “In the End We Fall”. The song is a well chosen first track and shows that Alien is far from falling. What comes out of the speakers is melodic rock that speaks for good craftsmanship.

The thunder of rock is the energizer for “I Belong to the Rain” and like most of the other tracks on this release you get hooked on the melodies. “Aiming High” is a song with a chorus that takes a while to reveal the details, while “Strange Way” competes with the rock ballads of the 80s.

The tracks in the second half of the album can keep up the quality level. “Hearts on Fire” and “Fall in My Arms” stand for captivating rock music while it’s the spirit of the 80s that is the fuel for the title track, which in a way made me think of bands like Magnum.

“When Yesterday Comes Around” is a colorful album that brings some positivity and soulfulness to grey times. It is the right longplayer to welcome the brightness of spring and leave a gray past behind. These thirteen songs blossom immediately and are a soul treat in crazy times.