The original vision of songwriter/drummer/producer Erik Modin (KERBERA) was to make a solo album/project with original songs and collaborate with friends and other musicians for additional lead vocals and guitars but changed direction and created a full band instead and from Stockholm, Sweden WILDNESS was born in 2014 and following their 2020 sophomore release "Ultimate Demise" have delivered their third full length album "Resurrection" on October 14, 2022, which includes guest vocalists Danny Rexon (CRAZY LIXX), Hank Erix (HOUSTON) and Ludvig Turner (REACH). They had the honor of opening for legendary hard rockers PRETTY MAIDS in 2018, and with influences from DOKKEN, DEF LEPPARD, KISS and EURPOE. So, let's see if they can keep up the momentum, they created with their first two albums.

I'm gonna start out this review by simply stating that I like "Resurrection" , I like it a lot, but I'm a big sucker for AOR driven, melodic, 80's rock, and that's what this album is to a fault. My only complaint is that out of eleven songs, there are three ballads, come on guys, we all expect one, but not three, "Love Resurrection" is actually a pretty nice, heartfelt song, the other two, "Lonely Girl" and "Dawn of Forever" are weak and sappy, "hoping to get laid" songs. The reminder of the album is nothing we haven't heard before, there are some tasty rockers with fabulous vocals, great harmonizing and heavy, gritty guitar riffs interconnected with good solos especially on the three hardest songs, "Release the Beast", "Eternity Will Never Fall" and the best guitar work with simmering fret magic on "The Final Fantasy". The most dynamic, meatiest song is "The One and Only", with inviting vocals underscored by a slower tempo and rhythm, highlighted with a whipping, whirlwind musical spectrum, I immediately downloaded this into my playlist.

"Resurrection" is a wonderful trip back in time, when the music was good, and the music was loud. WILDNESS did not re-invent the wheel; they followed a blueprint that has proven success. As I said earlier in this review "nothing we haven't heard before", and it's not, but it's also done very well. Their first two albums "Wildness and Ultimate Demise" may have been a little edgier, this one veers more towards listener friendly, hit oriented songs, but there's still a lot of good ole rocking going on here.