What the heck? What happened lately with Denmark??? The little Northern country is on fire or what!?

On the verge of recovering, after a superb and surprising year full of amazing CD releases in 2013, highly prolific and hugely successful with essential albums like as: "Motherland" by PRETTY MAIDS / "If Not The Devil" by FATE / "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies" by VOLBEAT / "Through Our Darkest Days" by MERCENARY / "A Life To Die For" by ROYAL HUNT followed closely by ARTILLERY's "Legions" or BLACK SUCCUBI's "Eye Of The Beholder"/ "Metallurgy" by Meridian...The early 2014, is already taken the same glorious path with such hot new albums of the highest breed of quality by SEVEN THORNS or RASPBERRY PARK with their upcoming debut album set to be published for the end of March.

Let's do a deep analysis of this gem curiously titled "Scratchin' The Surface", once again the fine people at Power Prog proves their cleverness and the fact that have some golden ears when it comes to sign interesting sustainable acts formed by musicians who holds a real future and something new to offer. The young German label / Media company was originally designed for helping the bands who had to offer innovative Melodic Power Metal with a strong emphasis on the Progressive side of Music, but lately it seems that the new direction is to also provide some more traditional kind of Heavy stuff , you could find elsewhere in Metal Temple my reviews for both JACK THE FROST & 4th DIMENSION who are clearly tagged toward a more typical German happy Power Metal mode, in the same category of those legendary albums released by the giants of the genre in the early 90's. Despite a strange moniker, RASPBERRY PARK is on the opposite side much more adult, as they are yet meanwhile rather near of the AOR style than anything else , since the early moments of the first opening track "On The Battlefield " (-a real potential hit single-) it's clear that we have something very special, smarter and subtle, typical in the sound but the songwriting is much efficient and less formulaic than most of the so-called old school bands , more ambitious, with an updated method that is obviously focused on the melodic side but still providing fresh structures and a spirit that isn't too far from the Prog Rock vibes and most of all a broad approach concerning the addition of external parameters delicately borrowed from Hard Rock / Modern Pop / Classic Rock or Heavy Rock... In one word: better!

If I have to propose some others artist to make a valid analogy it will be Jan Johansen's IGNITION and ALFONZETTI (mostly 2000's album "Ready") even if there is no much trace of a Scandinavian heritage link here, the comparisons are manifestly set in the great American tradition with old and new accents like BAD COMPANY or GIANT... for a better understanding, think DAMN YANKEES for the vocal harmonies, DARE for the keyboards driven songs and FAIR WARNING concerning the cool guitar sound.

The musicians involved here are all experienced veterans of the Danish Scene and its quite obvious, has it sounds flawless from start to finish, a Strong and catchy Songwriting not single filler on sight, the extraordinary musicality is enhanced by an impressive state-of-the-art sonic design, that's sounds like a million bucks production.

The first try for Power Prog records with the Melodic Rock / AOR genre is a perfect triumph but with those highly talented players and singers it was not risky and it was another sublime strategic move in order to permanently implanted their name in the Melodic Rock scene of today.