With the heavy artillery of David Reece (ex-ACCEPT) at the helm, and now on their fifth release with "Outbreak", WICKED SENSATION is a well-oiled hard rockin' machine. With the concept of pre-pandemic territory fuelling the album's thematic, the 'Timewalker' is sent back to 2019 to intervene and prevent any hint of pandemic pandemonium hitting humankind. It's certainly an intriguing idea and a welcome take on the somewhat oversaturated concept that's driven the music scene since 2020. Internationally acclaimed, WICKED SENSATION has produced a collection of rousing and arousing tracks, sure to give you a welcome rude awakening and get your blood pumping, your feet tapping and your body rocking!

Although WICKED SENSATION doesn't reinvent the wheel, and everything feels very safe and familiar, this shouldn't be mistaken for the guys diluting the talent behind their craft. If you can skip past the painfully (unnecessarily so) 80's cheesy feeling intro track, "Mission Timewalker", there's plenty of hooks, soaring melodies and guitar lines to keep you satiated for days. The likes of "Child of Sorrows" runs anthemically deep, intertwined with positively nostalgic 80's vibes, overlaid with a contemporary punch, and the track's melodic catchiness and intoxicating chorus will hook their claws into you, getting you belting your lungs out loud and proud. Contrastingly, "Light in the Dark" brings something edgier to the album with a deeper richness from David and the additional highlight of Gus G (Firewind) featuring on the track, too, with lots of foot-tapping moments and plenty of chance to absorb yourself in something heavier on the album.

Ramping it up, and certainly as the track-title would suggest, "Satisfy Temptation" is a ballsier rampant addition to the full-length, with lusty licks that flit and flirt, yet maintaining dominance in sound, a hybrid of ACCEPT meets SCORPIONS. The slick and sexy overtness pours into the BON JOVI meets SAXON feeling "Breaking Away", with razor-sharp nails that tease over your skin and some pretty darn hot solos that melt as effortlessly as an ice cube on a pounding, hot day. The diverse rock nuances dance around each of the tracks on "Outbreak", really enhancing the uplifting listening experience, creating something altogether fun-filled, and 'positive vibes only'. The deeper you dig into the album, the more you understand the angle WICKED TEMPTATION has taken and why the band was inspired to create something as footloose and fancy-free.

Moving into the realms of something with bite and sass, "Face Reality" is the most hard-hitting track on "Outbreak", muscular and robust guitar work lead the way forward, complemented by strikingly powerful vocals and a noticeably weightier bass line that anchors the track down, with the keys adding an alluring subtlety to keep the cut airy in the right places. The melodies and hooks keep on a comin' in "Hide Away", something a little more stomping yet balanced with a fragility heightened by sultry guitar work that almost has this on the cusp of ballad material at times. The Arena Rock soundscapes pull through perfectly in "Jaded Lady", something easily harking to the "New Jersey" BON JOVI era, with the beauty of the acoustic guitars of "Tomorrow" and the more delicate delivery of vocals smoothing off the full-length with something syrupy and sweet.

Truly, "Outbreak" offers something to suit every rocker's taste. You've got the punchy, fist-pump inducing bangers, the foot-tapping medium tempo strutters, and the dialled down subdued moments to unwind with. With exception of the intro track (which honestly made my teeth itch), this is a collection of carefree cuts that exhilarate and soothe your soul.