Ta-da da da!
Ta-da da-da-da!
Ta-da da da!
Ta-da da da da da da! …
If you are not humming, “The Final Countdown”, after seeing that this is a review of an album by Europe, either you have not been paying attention or you have not been keeping up with Europe since the mid-1980s. If you have been keeping up, you will know there is a lot more to them than a 1980s hit glam rock single would suggest.
Europe did take a break in the 1990s but reformed in 2002 and have been steadily releasing albums and touring since then. Their latest release, Walk The Earth, shows them to be a mature, accomplished rock act with shades of Deep Purple and more catchy riffs on one album than many bands can muster in a whole career.
The title track kicks things off and it is a belter! The quiet, synth start might lull you into false sense of security but it quickly switches up a gear when a monster of a riff drags you in by the scruff of the neck. As it moves into the chorus, you are given a brief respite before it kicks off again. All too soon, the same gentle synth melody from the start bookends the song bringing things to a satisfying end. Brilliant!
Every track has something to recommend it. For example: “The Siege” has a slightly Eastern feel and an awesome guitar solo; the guitar intro to “Wolves” positively growls at you; “GTO” is the type of driving song that can all too easily lead to speeding and “Haze” has massive riff, a trippy guitar solo and a crazy drum solo near the end… not to mention the repeated “Hey!” that will be great fun to shout along to in concert.
An accomplished and exciting rock album. It’s time to take a Walk with Europe.
Europe will be on tour with Deep Purple this November:
- Fri 17th Nov – Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham UK
- Sat 18th Nov – Manchester Arena, Manchester UK
- Mon 20th Nov – Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff UK
- Wed 22nd Nov – The SSE Hydro, Glasgow UK
- Thurs 23rd Nov – The O2 Arena, London UK
Walk The Earth is out now.
Europe: official | facebook | twitter | youtube | instagram
