Formed in 2012, MILE is a Hard Rock/Metal band with ex-members of CABINETT. The Swedish band claim to have rehearsed and wrote music for almost a year before their stage debut. They released their debut album "Lost" in 2015 and Niklas 'Nike' Tidaholm replaced bassist Marcus Folke in the band. The album has been received well with more than a million streaming views. The band has developed a Hard Rock sound that is aggressive as well as modern. "The World In Focus" is a generous mix of European sensibilities and melodies mixed with American aggression and is surprisingly good. When asked about the name of the band, they say, "Although the name sounds like the singer of KREATOR, it has nothing to do with him. It's an easy name to remember and we´re not added to a specific label of music and can represent the distance that music can take you." The band has played on festivals with Twisted Sister and Europe.

The first track of this 45+ minute album is "Crying in Your Sleep" and the four-minute track sets a Hard Rock tempo that the album has to live up to. It's got everything a Rock song should possess. Killer riffs and more than competent vocals make this song a good opening to the album. If not for anything, the title of the next track is cool enough on its own to warrant a listen. "Why Won't You Die (Die Motherfucker)" is on its way to being a track associated with this band throughout their career. Classic Rock meets Hard Rock in this track. "Sky is Red" and "Can You Feel the Noise" are pretty much regulation Hard Rock songs and the band show some aggression in the melodies. Melodic, upbeat and intense, these two tracks go together musically. "Burning" is a track that is very reminiscent of AUDIOSLAVE and KORN. Melody-wise and singing-wise, the track shares a close kinship with these remarkable bands. The album closes off with another fast track called "We Stand Tall" that is rather radio-friendly. It's a fitting, intense send-off to the album.

MILE is definitely a competent band and they have managed to churn out decent Hard Rock music. There are sections in the album when you will headbang and air guitar. Having said that, the band needs to traverse quite a distance before they become an entity that the world will embrace. The lead vocals, although quite strong, needs some polishing. One also feels that the band sometimes stray too close to their influences and the tracks seem disjointed musically. The album will appeal to fans of Hard Rock and Classic Metal sound who will appreciate the energy and aggression of the sound. The album is catchy and will grow on you after a couple of listens. I expect this band to be a killer live entity as well.Production 8