VOLSTER is a project of guitarist Ulf Anderson and bass player Henrik Lundberg, both of whom were members of Swedish Hard Rock band MASQUERADE. Another member of this band Thomas G: Son, achieved notoriety as the "most industrious songwriter in the history of the "Eurovision Song Contest". The band's albums were well received by critics, but they were a bit late to the party, so to speak. After a successful tour in Japan they - according to a profile article about G: Son - played in small venues back home and their drummer even sold his kit during a set. Anderson left the band but he and Lundberg still had plans for future projects even after splitting ways. In 2013 they teamed up and started performing and making music under the name VOLSTER, and this year they finally released their debut album.

As you can tell from the backstory, VOLSTER are no rookies. The "Perfect Storm" is a platter of tastefully written and well executed guitar driven Hard Rock inspired by the more "bad-ass" US glam rock bands like SKID ROW and MOTLEY CRUE; we also get some bluesy AEROSMITH vibes and one may also detect some more modern rock influences that remind me a bit of OZZY's later solo career. The title track is a good example of a more modern sounding Hard Rock song. It has as a nice brooding atmosphere, and an emotional chorus. I really like the noodly riffs and the use of keys on the track. "Breathless" is a more "keyboardy" song that has a bit more glam rock vibe a là WHITESNAKE or DEF LEPARD to it - we get some good old 80s cheesiness, but the song manages not to sound annoying or derivative. "Hero" is one of the more hard hitting songs, with a stomping rhythm and heavy riffs, and like many other songs here has a kind of aggrieved tone. My favorite is probably the more melancholic song "Easier Said Than Done". It's has a big, catchy chorus with some great vocal harmonies that make it really pop. One thing that should be mentioned is that this album doesn't have a ballad - and you know what, it doesn't need one: some bands should take notice. The second to last track "Drifting Away" is a mid-tempo song with a dreamy chorus, but not a ballad. The album closes with one of the heavier songs "End With Me".

This album is well written and executed.  It is very much rooted in the classic Hard Rock sound but not gimmicky. VOLSTER play no stupid party rock or overblown cheesy BS. This is a rather serious album and you can hear that in the more reflective lyrics as well. I might care for some songs more than others - I don't care too much for "I Don't Care" for example (that's pretty ironic, isn't it...?), but to me this album definitely has good replay value. Overall, this is a very good release from these Swedes.  If you are a fan of this kind of music you might perhaps adjust the rating upward by a notch.