I have been hearing kind of comments here and there concerning that this was named "Symphonic" like: "we, the fans, are really the cash-cows", "these kinds of releases are pointless...", "no new ideas?! boring" and  more blah blah, yada yada.

Once again, I will play the devil's advocate, I'll do this with a big pleasure, as I like to destroy the preconceived ideas and walking against the wind is my favorite way to dress my hair. You should know that first of all, Jorn Lande is considered by myself and I as one of the greatest singers on the planet, so he could sing the whole Estonian phone book with huge appreciation & my blessing.

But, lately I have to confess that I haven't been truly happy with some of his latest efforts and many critics toward him seemed more and more justified. His supposed egocentric and pretentious personality leads the press and some in the audience to perceive him as a mercenary without faith and from this false idea, even forgetting about his immense and extraordinary vocal capacities. So, when I was first aware about this remake album under a symphonic mood, I wasn't really convinced and was also even a little scared, too much 'best of / compilation and tribute release in the last years with even the risk to be overexposed as last collateral damage & penalty.

Yet as soon as I placed the silver platter unto my CD-player, it was just magical, the powerful and unexpectedly tasty orchestral arrangements flows in a perfect mix crafted by the genius Tommy Hansen with the old and the newer parts merged perfectly in an incredible freshness, and the cherry on the cake is of course the superb singing by one of the most sensible and in the same time one of the most strongest voice in the whole Rock scene: the one and only Jorn Lande.

The new homogeneity found in this album, finally, raised those already superb songs to another higher level ("The World I See" or "Time To Be King" a rendition from his MASTERPLAN days) and even revealed some of their true nature ("I Came To Rock" "Like Stone In Water") some are quite far from the original version ("Vision Eyes" ,"Behind The Clown"), it also put some New light on a hidden side of Jorn's genuine sensibility, and divulge the full abnegation of his ego for his Art.

I think the two Ronnie James Dio related covers as "Rock And Roll Children" & "The Mob Rules" from BLACK SABBATH are truly incredible both in the Lande sharp and refine interpretation but also in the new clever, precise and stellar arrangements. The exceptional constancy in the vocal performances will help this album on proving once again how Jorn Lande has a great voice and a magnificent performer, and I hope for an overwhelming response from the Metal audience around this precious unexpected musical item.

His interpretation is more than ever remarkable, with huge dedication to the words meaning and a rarely seen focus on the incarnation of the vocal melody, the quintessence and the strongest extract of what Rock singing should always be, simply astonishing. This symphonious remake is everything except pointless, a great listening experience.