LAZARUS DREAM is a new German Hard Rock band, consisting of Carsten, Markus, and Markus, along with a few guest musicians. They deliver Melodic Hard Rock with a touch of Progressive elements reminiscent of bands such as QUEENSRYCHE and DOKKEN. Their album "Alive" contains thirteen tracks.

"Dawn of Time" leads off the album. It opens with some drums and electronica. A heavy guitar riff comes in along with raspy vocals, and harmonies in the chorus. A bluesy guitar solo follows with heavy does of wah-wah. "House of Cards" opens with dualing guitar and key melodies. This mid-tempo track features some nice vocal harmonies and an overall feeling of positivity. "Wings of an Eagle" opens with some guitar harmonies and a thumping bass line, leading to full-on vocal harmonies and a thick, rich sound to go along with the sound of an eagle screeching. I'm getting more DOKKEN here than QUEENSRYCHE, but that is neither here nor there.

"Can't Take my Soul Away" opens with a DOKKEN-esque riff that sounds like it comes from the annals of Lynch's repertoire. But the vocal harmonies are strong here. Pfeffer shows some skill with the lead breaks. "Listen" begins with clean guitars and a melancholy feeling. It's the "power ballad" on the album if you will. It's tender and charming, but perhaps a little out of place on the album IMO. "Fleshburn" is close to eight-minutes in length. It opens with some mysterious tones that sound like they come from the east. From there the darkness slowly covers the ground around you, with a thick and heavy guitar riff. Carten's vocals have an edgy rasp here.

"The Healing Echoes" begins with some lead guitar notes dancing around the main riff, which is another mid-tempo pacer. They lay on the open E note while the bass and drums thump away, then push big harmonies in the chorus. "Desert Minds" begins with the chorus and then some light keyboard moments. Carten's vocals are quite poignant here. But the album is becoming somewhat weighted down with too many mid-temp tracks, or the "mid-temp" blues as I call them. The harmonies are once again on point however. "Visions and Sins" begins with some light drumming and some key sounds from outer space. The lead breaks are again very well done. There is an aching feeling in this song, which some full circle in the chorus.

"Steam" begins with the sounds of a steam engine taking off. This song has a bit faster pace than some of the previous tracks, with just a touch of a Power Metal feeling. The riffing however isn't anything you haven't heard before, but it is done with an honest yearning. "Don't Blame Me" begins with some more of those outer space tones, shifting to a heavy and chugging main riff with some nice bass work as well. A nice guitar solo follows the second chorus. "Hotel Overload" opens with more spacey keys leading to a fat guitar riff and some lead whammy bar work. The lyrics are a little cliché here but that could also be due to English being their second language so there is no use criticizing them for that.

"Days of Darkness and Rain" closes the album. It sounds about what you might expect...some doleful tones in the guitars and vocals..."you left me alone in the desert of dreams" he croons. One thing that can be said about the band is that they are honest in their interpretation of their craft. They are also talented musicians who know how and when to push melodies and harmonies, and Carsten's vocals fit the music perfectly. It's hard to sell a 13-track album without some repetition but I felt totally engaged throughout the experience. If you are fan of the Hard Roc/AOR genre, I have no doubt that this album will fit into your collection nicely.