Track Listing
· Down On My Luck
· Tell Me Your Mine (1)
· Father (Save Me)
· Fire With Fire (3)
· You Can't Fool Me No More
· Babylon
· Night After Night
· Goodbye To The Good Times (2)
· Should Have Done You Right
· First To Cry
· Time Is Sunning Out

(*) Best Tracks

Buy it if you like:
Jaded Heart
Seventh Key
IGNITION
Ignition
MTM / Atenzia Records ATZ 02007
· Produced By: Peter Soderstrom
· Running Time: 48.40 · Release Date: Out Now
· Released: EU · Genre: Melodic Rock
· LabelLink: MTM · LabelLink: Atenzia
90%

New Swedish rockers Ignition have been getting a fair rave within melodic circles, and I can see why, but I also see a few other points.
First up, this, like so many great Swedish bands, rocks big time and is going to appeal to a wide range of hard rock and melodic rock fans.
The band's debut album consists of tracks primary sourced from US songwriters, with the band only contributing a couple of their own. While I won't second guess the band's writing skills, I can say that the songs chosen are all high quality and well worthy of their inclusion here.
Another highlight is the excellent production quality. The whole mix/sound is first rate, with the added bonus of some great backing vocals and guitar overdubs in all the right places. Overall, the whole package is very professional and above average for the scene as a whole.
In fact, it really has that big fat Mike Slamer production feel to it...expect with a European twist, not an American one.
The album isn't an instant hit - it requires a few listens, with more of it's qualities being unearthed each listen.
Backing vocals are as good as they are, because Goran Edmon is the man responsible on all tracks.
As I have said, the songs are terrific, with lots of heavy guitar riffs, a thumping rhythm and importantly, good melodic choruses. The tempo changes from uptempo hard rock, to moody mid-tempo, and straight ahead melodic rock/AOR and a couple of good rock ballads.
Tell Me Your Mine is one of the better rockers on the album and Fire With Fire is a cool moody rock track.
Goodbye To The Good Times is reminiscent of Jaded Heart at their best and First To Cry is an old Mark Free demo that remains fresh and appealing.
Matti Alfonzetti co-writes one track and other songs are sourced from great writers like Cliff Magnus, Bob Marlette & Tom Whitlcok, Tommy Funderburk, Billy Sherwood & Guy Allison and more.
Now to the only 'but' of the whole album. I'm not a great fan of the vocalist. His dark, raspy and somewhat gruff vocals aren't my usual choice. As it is, he does add a heavier feel to proceedings, as this would be pure heavy AOR if a smoother vocalist was in place.
I'm a big vocalist person. So as good as this album's songs and production is, the voice does take a little away for me. Others might feel quite the opposite, but I feel the point had to be said.

The Bottom Line
The production quality is there, the song quality is there, the power and conviction of delivery is there. This is a great hard rock debut from another classy Swedish band. This album will find a lot of fans in the melodic community.
My only hesitation is the vocalist's style, but repeated listening finds him growing on you also.

Line Up
· Jan Johansen: Vocals
· Peter Soderstrom: Guitars, Keyboards
· Johan Kullberg: Drums
· Pontus Egberg: Bass

Additional Ratings
Songwriting
90%
Attitude
86%
Production
94%

AOR Heaven NEH Records Z-Roxx Loud 1 Hot Tracks Target Wishing Well Loud Metal Perris

19/12/08: Bebe - basia146@op.pl
Rating: 0
I'm looking forward for their next album, I love it! Songs :"Tell me your mine" and "Time is running out" - the best of this album! I wish to hear them more!

25/06/04: Guillermo - guillerperez@usuariosretecal.es
Rating: 88
ME gusta sobre todo la segunda mitad del album desde el tema de tommy Funderbuck en adelante.

24/09/03: Geoff - g.a.wols@ponl.com
Rating: 80
Great, well played melodic hard rock. A very good sound, strong tunes and if FM ever needs a replacement singer, they have him here!

Could the chorus on 'Tell Me Your Mine' be any better?! No! Excellent track!
'You Can't Fool Me No More' is fine melodic hard rock, 'Goodbye To The Good Times' is my second fave track - a real sentimental rocker which grips me like a glove of well played hard rock, which it is so it works out good for all of us. 'First To Cry' is a beauty too!

Overall, a very fine, classy peice of melodic hard rock. Good stuff.

31/07/03: Ardian - ardian@mariacarlaboscono.com
Rating: 100
Ignition's self-titled debut album is without a doubt one of 2003's best melodic hard rock
releases. The CD contains high quality songs from top AOR songwriters, excellently executed by
the entire band and the guest musicians, which include the great Goran Edman on backing vocals.

Jan Johansen's voice is fine, but he would be better if he didn't sing raspy as we can heard on
this album. I've heard Jan's latest solo album "X My Heart" and he sounded much better there,
despite the weakness of the materials. For those who hadn't heard this album, "X My Heart" is
much poppier (sounds like MOR meets EuroPop maybe?) compared to Ignition, but it's worth getting
only for the first two tracks: "Bad Is Good For You" and "When It Comes To Love". These are
killer mid-paced modern AOR tunes.

Back to Ignition, I personally think that the major let-down of this album is the fact that
my favorite vocalist ever, Goran Edman, only got to sing the background vocals! What a crime!
No offense to Jan, cos he's a very good singer too... but imagine what would we have if it's
Goran on lead vocals instead? Possibly Goran's best album ever! :)

13/03/03: Bart Holwerda - b_holwerda@lycos.nl
Rating: 95
sounds great, I like the Starship cover 'BABYLON'. The whole album sounds clean with great guitarwork. One of the best I heard in a long time.

26/02/03: Rich - drhall01@hotmail.com
Rating: 94
Wow, I came across this band purely by chance and I'm really glad I did.What a great find , very classy AOR with the right mixture of melodies and moods.I find it a bit reminiscent of Terry Brock era Strangeways with a few modern touches.Songs such as "Fire With Fire","Babylon","Goodbye To Good Times"& "First To Cry" are permanent fixtures on my c.d. player.I really think this will be seen as one of the best releases for 2003 along with Urban Tale,Masterplan and the anticipated Khymera and Harry Hess albums.

11/02/03: Figge - anderssonfigge@hotmail.com
Rating: 90
I agree totally with previous poster (Kula). Jan has a very strong voice and it suits the kind of music they deliver on this record. This is a very good Hard Rock/AOR record with many strong songs and the production is high class all through. Many good AOR records coming out these days, On The Rise, Jim Jidhed, Urban Tale and Ignition (and more) and I must say I like this one best. It's not pure AOR, It's a little tougher and I like that. "Goodbye to the Good Times" and "First To Cry" are my favourites.....but that may change with repeated listening!!!

10/02/03: Kip - kipner@hotmail.com
Rating: 92
As with the review - this album has to grow on you. It is not the immediate hit compared to e.g. Giant (which is a similarity not mentioned). But when it grows, there are a lot of things that really sticks out compared to the rest of the music out there today. When it comes to song-writing skills of the band leader himself, I know first-hand the impressive qualities that exists - and it will no doubt show on a follow-up.

Production - as good as it can ever get...

//

08/02/03: Kula95 - kulius69@hotmail.com
Rating: 95
I'm one of those that realy like the voice of Jan Johansen. Jan is well-known singer here in Sweden and among many things he's been appearing at the Eurovision Song Contest. So it's quite a susrprise that he ended up as a singer in a melodic rock band. And I have to say it realy suits him well. His raspy vocals reminds me a little of singers like Glenn Hughes and Jeff Scott Soto. Can't agree with Andy (sorry man:)) think he is one of the best AOR-vocalists in a long time...
But the highlight of this album are the songs. Just great! This one will be one of the best hardrock/AOR albums of the year. But that's just my opinion...

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