AOR seems to be back in the world, and I hope it will throw Grunge Rock and Alternative genres back into the trash where they deserve to be! OK, these words aren't as professional as much readers and press comrades would like to see. But it's a way to avenge many of the good bands, and the happy atmosphere that permeated Rock and Metal scene before that disgusting trend from Seattle started. Grunge Rock and Alternative Rock bands loved sad and deception, and personally, my vision is that Rock and its genres are about live, to struggle against the life difficulties, and to overcome them all. And when I hear a new Glam Metal/AOR band, I must state that a smile cracks in my old face.

That's the feelings that overcome in my heart when "Run With the Pack", the fifth album from Norwegian Melodic Rock singer Issa Oversveen, under the name of ISSA. Melodic Rock seems to be a new name for old and good AOR, and it's what we find here. It's melodic, tender and wonderful, created with the right amount of musical accessibility, excellent hooking choruses and all those elements that we can find on albums of bands like BON JOVI, JOURNEY and many others, just with a modern and heavier approach. The production, mix and mastering of the album were done by Alessandro Del Vecchio (the same guy that played keyboards' parts), and his work gave to "Run With the Pack" the right balance between weight, aggressiveness and clearness. All works in a perfect way to make the melodic insight of ISSA's work evident. And the badass idea: to use a modern insight to shape the songs.

The songs are all wonderful, a gift for guys like me who saw this musical genre falling down on 1992. And let me tell you: songs as "Am I Losin' You" (excellent chorus and guitar arrangements), "Run With the Pack" (great 80s atmosphere, with fine keyboards and vocals), the charming duet between Issa and Dean Castronovo presented on "Sacrifice Me", the tender melodies on "Come Back Again" and on the ballad "Talk to Your Heart", and the aggressive guitars shaping the harmonies on "Closer to You" are really odes to joy and to life.

Listen to "Run With the Pack" as many times as you can, and let yourself be seduced by ISSA's work!