Angelica Rylin, the Swedish Mezzo-Soprano behind the vocals for the Cinematic Metal band THE MURDER OF MY SWEET, is amongst the finest vocalists working today. She is also a talented writer, having worked in the past with the likes of Anna Tsuchiya and the Swedish chanteuse Issa. She released her first solo album, "Thrive", in 2013 on Frontiers Records. That record dug into a more eighties AOR sound than her work with THE MURDER OF MY SWEET, with a very strong melodic presence and an almost pop oriented feel. She has now followed that release up, in the same style and under the ANGELICA name, with the stellar "All I Am". On this release, she is again working with THE MURDER OF MY SWEET bandmate and partner in crime Daniel Flores, who serves as keyboardist, drummer, backing vocalist and producer for the record.

This record is an eleven-song journey through the same melodic tapestry as the aforementioned "Thrive"; with heady, airy lyrical content aplenty, and the musical superiority that I have come to expect from most Frontiers' releases. ANGELICA's vocal prowess is also on full display here, as if it could be ignored. Opening the album is "Calling", a beautiful bit of pop songwriting and production. The song sounds as if it could have been released in the mid to late 80's, with a strong beat and heavy focus on the lyric inherent to that era. Rylin hasn't lost her sense of power here either, as the song features some nice overdriven guitar work from Michael Palace (KRYPTONITE, FIRST SIGNAL), and an edgy sounding chorus.

Continuing along the same theme, "Beat Them All" follows effectively, bringing with it a hard-hitting intro and overall heavier feel. The self- affirming lyrical content, while certainly a bit cliched, is well-written, and serves to hold the listener's interest throughout. Again, musically, there is nothing to complain about, as the band assembled for these recordings is 100% on top of their game. There are highlights throughout, with the ballads "Still Bleeding" and "Time To Go Home" being great examples of the songwriting ability I have already spoke of. The latter of those songs is absolutely gorgeous, with Pedro Cesar Camargo's acoustic guitar work and string production absolutely shining.

There is a reason these songs don't fit the mold of THE MURDER OF MY SWEET. They have an entirely different feeling to them than any of the four releases from the band. Fans should not expect this record to have that sound; but they shouldn't be scared of it because of that. The songs here are tight, well produced and shining examples of Rylin's talent.