STATE OF SALAZAR was started in 2010 by five students from the Malmö Academy of Music who wanted to play rock music made for the big arenas. The singer and songwriter, Marcus Nygren, came up with the concept in 2009 when a couple of songs that he'd written did not fit his metal-based band 8-POINT ROSE. STATE OF SALAZAR kept a pretty low profile during the first two years, doing a few gigs and recording demo tracks.

When they released their debut EP "Lost my Way" in the summer of 2012, it spread fast in magazines and blogs and created a tidal wave of praise. The Swedish quintet received a lot of positive reactions from all over the world during a very short period of time. Following the EP release, the band entered the rehearsal room straight away to work on new songs for a planned debut album called "All the Way". In early 2013, STATE OF SALAZAR signed with the Italian record company Frontiers Records and in 2014 the album "All the Way" was released. It received a great amount of fantastic reviews and thanks to Frontiers the band reached out to a greater audience. Today, they present their newest album titled "Superhero," which contains eleven tracks.

"If You Wait for Me" opens with a bombastic keyboard passage. The verses are pretty straight forward but the chorus is pretty well put together, in layers of harmony. Marcus's voice is key here. He sings very well and with perfect pitch. "My Heart is as War" has a little more going on. A rousing riff opens the song, leading to tender verses and a big chorus, reminiscent of TOTO, with some wonderful keys and a spot-on guitar solo. "Hold on Tonight" has an easy listening melody with some high vocals and accents. The vocal harmonies really help it shine, and it has an endearing sound overall. Marcus' vocals really come through nicely on "Masquerade." He sings with passion and fire, and belts forth the lyrics. The guitar and keys work very well together here, alternating between the forefront and taking the lead.

"She's a Loaded Gun" has a tender opening, and an energetic mid-tempo pace, where you can hear Marcus in all of the ranges. The chorus is full of harmony, to the point where the layers come at you in waves. "Lie to Me" is the ballad on the album. Tender piano is joined by female vocals combined with male vocals in alternating verses, until they join together in harmonies. Emotions run high as the key changes to a half-step higher. "Joanne" opens with energetic keys and a swinging groove. The tones are positive and your feet at tapping. It reminds me of the greater bands in the 1980's like JOURNEY. "Someone I Know" opens with emotional vocals and the phrasing of TOTO. The vocals work well with the keys in the background with just enough guitar presence to support the poignant vocals.

"Love will find a Way" is the other power ballad on the album. Marcus' vocals shine through brightly with charming piano notes. "Superhero" closes the album, with grandeur. The pace quickens and it's the perfect ending to the album. Overall, I liked the album. Marcus' vocals are the key to the sound however. He is very versatile and remains in pitch in both the lower and upper ranges, and steals the show, even with a very talented cast of supporting members. The instruments work well in support...not too much and not too little. It reminds me of the great bands of the 80's, with an endearing and memorable sound.