The newest AOR/melodic hard rock album to cross my vision was the brainchild of season solo artist Erik S. Bjorngard: The self-titled album from the new band Time Tripper. Bjorngard has achieved notable success, as a composer for several musicals, and receiver of the Best Male Performer CMA award. His newest musical adventure comes in the form of Time Tripper, which formed in 2024 of close friends and seasoned musicians. They strive to re-create the sound of 80's melodic rock and AOR, something harder to pull of at the end of 2025. If they do it well, then, well, it's done well!

Time Tripper released two singles before the full LP. The first being "Love In Chains," releasing over a year ago in December 2024. The track also received a music video on the Lions Pride Music channel. The song opens with soft keys and what sounds like an electronic harp. Soon enough, the guitar kick in, and boy are they 80's. It's cheesy, it's soft, and an admirable re-creation of the melodic rock sound of the past. Soaring guitars, big choruses, and a feel of nostalgia for some. The second single, "Ride The Storm," is an arena anthem for sure, just like the first song. Loud drums, a simple but catchy riff, synthesizers, and a typical verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure solidify Time Tripper into classic melodic hard rock territory.

The full LP starts with a quick opener, then launches into the first full track. "On Stage" is a sure song to be played theatrically on stage. I mean, yeah, he just rhymed "more" with "more," but it's just so cheesy that you can't help to disregard the small things. "Time Tripper" is essentially a compilation of these bites of adult-oriented rock, with 12 songs that really just rinse and repeat the sound, with some switches up in style. Songs like "Get Ready" and "Should I Go" have the bombastic solos like the rest of the tracks, but dip into ballad territory. Songs like "Heart of Fire" and "Play It No More" are majestic as ever, but are just the same as what I've heard. The album just keeps on going, with more melodicism in "Cruel But Fair," attitude in "Rebel Heart," and there's not much more to cover on the sound of the last two tracks "Fighting for Control" and "Cat 5 Hurricane."

This album is so cheesy it hurts. Erik S. Bjorngard's mission with this band was to re-create the sounds of the 70-80's hard rock, and that was achieved. The combination of typical lyrics, endless and simple riffs and keyboards, and a feel that we have mostly left behind in the past convinced me to love it either way. A guilty pleasure, if you will.