MICHAEL THOMPSON BAND took a long time to bring out a new album. 1989 was the year they brought "How Long" that was re-issued in 2007 and brought through Frontiers Records. Guess Michael Thompson did like working with Frontiers Records, since 5 years after starting working with them and more than 20 years after "How Long", the new album "Future Past" appeared and was released through Frontiers Records at the end of last February. An album that's more a Pop Hard Rock album than a Hard Rock album, but a nice solid one with relaxed guest appearances and one that shows that they've been around for a while.

Michael Thompson might have not released a new album the past 20 years, but he certainly didn't sit still either. After some research on the internet I did find quite a list of people he has been working with these past two decades. To name a few... Cher, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Apollonia, Neil Diamond, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Michael Bolton, Julio Iglesias, Joe Cocker, Gloria Estefan, Engelbert Humperdinck, Lionel Richie and many, many more. Guess no wonder that this album "Future Past" does have a clear pop sound to it, still Michael Thompson's great guitar work does give this album an old school Hard Rock sound too.

The title "Future Past" suits this album. Since this todays album does hold a 80s, 90s sound, but the album also has a modern sound to it, experienced guitar work, strong lyrics, catchy passionate songs and sing-alongs with cry outs that are timeless. Michael Thompson Band did put down a relaxed album suitable for a bigger audience, making this a great album to spin also on a Summer party, simply because it's easy to listen to and even a not Hard Rock fan should be able to handle MICHAEL THOMPSON BAND.

The studio experience behind MICHAEL THOMPSON BAND is so clear that the sound of the entire album jumps out. The musical experience behind the bandis so big that this album contains many songs that not only sound sincere, but they are, holding a depth in an easy listening kind of way, making this album "Future Past" a masterpiece in its genre. Maybe a bit too soft for me, but that's because I personally feel more at home inside the energy brought by the metal genres.

"Future Past" is a masterpiece when it comes to catchy Pop / Hard Rock songs and when it comes to production quality.