There comes a time when you get positively surprised about a band that you never heard before. A band with a different proposal in music and able to mix a lot of elements in their music without sounding too commercial. Musicians that explore and have labels as their least concern. Today I was introduced to REACH, a power melodic trio from Sweden and their new album Prophecy. I will start with the amazing artwork as every song has a church style stained glass window with the song theme represented. Is like having 11 album covers, and for a record and art lover like me, is a perfect fit.

The first tune “Prophecy” that names the album already advises you what is to come. Great musicianship and great melodies mixed with some interesting ideas. It goes from RUSH to EMERSON LAKE AND PALMER. The next tune “Little Dreams” has a little more commercial appeal but it conquers you with its creativity. The vocal work is supreme from singer Ludvig Turner and there is not much that he can't do. The songs are very well put together with memorable riffs and a variety of moods. “A Beautiful Life” is next and it will fill the room with a Spanish Flamenco vibe and a masterful melody and chorus. The band also has creative impulses adding so much to their songs making them unique. Not many heavy guitars can be heard but the sound is dense and suave in the correct times. Another highlight is “Save The World” that has a video online you can check. It may not be the best for my taste buds but is very catchy with its cabaret style arrangement.

The band gets softer on “A Million Lives” that is more on the commercial side again despite a few touches of creativity spread in some points. We go back to a more meaty territory with “Not The Same” that brings the guitars more to the forefront and it has a total hard rock vibe with a great melody and some nice bass passages from the new member Soufian Ma´Aoui (I hope I am pronouncing your name right:). We follow with “Who Knows” and I was trying to avoid saying this, but it really gets me a BEATLES vibe in their compositions in the sense that everything works, the melody, choice of sounds  and the delivery is perfect and very creative. It is so hard to get a good melody in people's minds and this band has plenty. And they also play with sounds like in The White Album.

Freedom and creativity also can be found on “Mama Mama” , which is another more hard rock oriented tune with a great tempo break that comes out of nowhere. Great tempo is also the theme of drummer Marcus Johansson that created the band with partner in crime Ludvig Turner. The vocals are once again, very good. A feast for a producer to work with. A funky guitar starts the unique “Psycho Violence” that for me gets the best of the album so far. It mixes 2 unexpected styles with perfection. Funk with Rock, how can it go wrong? Great solo as well under a beautiful bass line and a disco beat. It has everything. We reach the grand finale with “Grand Finale” that starts with a somewhat classic music style to suddenly punch you with a killer riff ala MUSE . Wait, There is a bonus track called “Eviga Natt” that I believe is sung in Swedish and is the inevitable ballad. Or maybe it is a traditional song. Understandable why is the bonus as it did not add much. Very good album nevertheless with plenty to explore. Is one of these rare albums that deserves a second exploration in almost every song. Great artistic work.