To play Melodic Hard Rock today is strange. No, I have no mean ideas, just because this particular genre was in great evidence on the 80's, when California and all of the scene in the USA unleashed an invasion throughout the world, and seemed to be dead in the 90's due Grunge Rock commercial success. But it amazes me how this genre is really good for our minds and seems to never grow old. The Swedish trio REACH is here with their latest release, "The Great Divine".

Let's be plain and clean: the trio plays an aggressive format of Melodic Hard Rock, using a heavier outfit on their songs, but playing with modern tunes, what makes their music heavier than their comrades from the same genre. They use a good technical approach, but without exaggerations, to keep their musical work easy to understand, with catchy melodies, and very good choruses. Yes, they are pretty good, indeed.

"The Great Divine" was recorded at Rocksta Sound Studio, having Jona Tee on the production, and Tobias Lindell on the mixing. We can say that the sound quality is really excellent. All is sounding great and in their due laces, with the right balance between the musical weight and aggressiveness, and the sound clarity is on a satisfactory level.

All the songs of "The Great Divine" are very good, catching our hearts with very good melodies, but the abrasive and charming "Into Tomorrow" (very good chorus, and good vocals), the aggressive and introspective "The Great Divine" with its very good work from bass guitar and drums, the accessible and filled with excellent melodies "Off the Edge", the very good guitars shown on the "Running on Empty", and the modern and bittersweet melodies of "You Say" can be named as their best moments on the album.

They are good, but their potential wasn't use at its fullest on "The Great Divine", so I hope that, next time, they can come showing a wonderful work. The ones who live will see.