The Swedish Rock/Metal scene is amazing and seems to be deeper and ample than the senses can catch. Every Metal genre has a representing band there, and Swedish Rock scene isn't only extreme Metal bands or melodic ones. The Swedish scene, today, is strong with Glam Metal bands, as anyone can see, as some excellent names appeared there. STARMEN is one of those very good names that appear there every single day, and their first album, "Welcome to My World", is really a very good release.

Their musical path is similar from great Glam Metal heroes from the 80's as KISS (even their make-ups seems to be based on Paul Stanley's one), WHITESNAKE (from "Whitesnake 1987" days) and DEF LEPPARD (especially during "Pyromania" age due the strong presence of guitars). Obviously the band has an accessible musical work, but the elegant rough aesthetics makes everything sound new and fresh, and the band really is talented. Melodies that are easy to understand, charming choruses, and the right amounts of musical weight and distortion makes "Welcome to My World" a very good album to spend free time hearing.

Kristian Hermanson produced, assisted to the recordings, and mixed the album. It can look like a need for control, but his work makes everything sound great and in the due way, with very good instrumental tunes and doses of weight and melody being balanced in a very good way, so everyone can understand what is being played easily. The crude insight is used to reinforce the organic feeling of the past, but without sounding moldy.

There are 12 songs on "Welcome to My World", all of them bearing a personal charm. The catching "Dreaming" with its catchy melodies (very good vocals and guitars, indeed), the mix between Glam Metal and Metal shown on the weighty "Face the Truth" (the chorus is amazing, and bass guitar and drums works in a very good way), the very good and easy Pop Metal song "Warrior" (very good backing vocals, indeed) and "Freewheelin'" (the KISS influence is clear on this song), the brutal grasping weight that permeates "Evil", and keeps on during "Welcome to My World" (besides on this one the melodies are stronger, and the influence of AC/DC is clear on guitars), and the clear Heavy Metal influence shown on "Mission Man" are the ones the listener must give special attention.

"Welcome to My World" is really a very good album, and STARMEN shows that there is space for them in the scene, so let the good times roll once more.