Four cool dudes from Uppsala, Sweden - all are probably way cooler than me and you - decided to form a 70s Rock inspired band and call themselves WHEEL IN THE SKY. I don't  know if they named themselves after the JOURNEY song, it might well be the case, but their music per se has a strong Hard Rock and Psych Rock bent - you won't find too many of Arena Rock influences here. What WHEEL IN THE SKY go for is just good old classic Rock with driving, emotional melodies, but without the Pop Rock bombast. It's very much an homage to the golden age of Rock, the time before Rock degenerated into Hair Metal, one might say. I hear echos of bands like THE WHO, THE DOORS, and epecially THIN LIZZY, who seem to be a strong reference point for WHEEL IN THE SKY's music.

The 45 minutes long album kicks off with a pretty lighthearted, feelgood song "Rivers of Dust", with twangy, Surf Rock-y guitars accompanying the singer in the verse and an energetic, catchy chorus. This song kind of sets the tone for the whole album: most of the songs are upbeat, straight out of an era where young people's biggest concerts were if they are going to get bit by a shark while they surf or if they're going to experience a bad trip when doubling the dose of acid. The title song "Beyond the Pale" is one of those more THIN LIZZY inspired songs on the album, I really dig a melodic riff in the song that reminds me of that iconic riff in "Don't Fear the Reaper". The third song "Far Side of Your Mind" is a melancholic THE DOORS-esque song, even the lyrics kind of imitate that "deep" - in quotation marks - Jim Morrison lyricism. There are no other big surprises on the album except on "The Only Dead Girl in the City" there is a mid-section that has a much more Post-Punk, New Wave vibe then the rest of the album. I think that's a really nice touch.

This album doesn't lack good jams, in a way it is a perfect album, what ie lacks - and it is a bit redundant to say about a retro Rock album - is any originality. I'm thinking why I have such a hard time enjoying this kind of retro Rock, when so many people seem to enjoy bands like GRETA VAN FLEET etc.  One explanation I have is that since Rock music, especially Hard Rock, comes mainly - as is often said - from the genitals, and after a certain age, the genitals...you know what I'm getting at.  Music by young guys making old people's music, thus not giving an outlet to their sexual energy, just isn't for me, but if you feel like, there is not enough 1970s Rock in the world, hey, this may be the perfect album for you. The coolness factor is definitely very strong with this release.