Don Patrol (Swe) - Don Patrol [Promo] (1990)

Hard Rock / Melodic Hard Rock

Promotion copy. Not for sale.
Released in gatefold cardboard sleeve.

Now that we have entered the nineties, all signs indicate that the multifaceted hard rock has taken two steps back to take one forward. Now comes the debut LP from DON PATROL, an album that literally drowns in spices from the inventive and progressive sound of the seventies. At the same time, they have carefully taken advantage of the advantages of the technical development during the eighties, and the result has been a rock album that can very well be classified as both groundbreaking and style-defining. Sure, there are clear traces of influence from greats like Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Bad Company and Aerosmith - even the dirty aggressiveness of AC/DC - in this Gothenburg band. But they go a step further than most by daring to admit that bands with softer sounds also contributed to the overall impression. It is not entirely wrong to mention Foreigner and Journey in this context.

All five members have gained invaluable experience over the years through extensive touring with dozens of Swedish artists, as hired touring musicians, before they joined forces to form a unit they knew had the same goal. The result shows with all the desired clarity how the fundamental impetus of rock music, the blues, has influenced them, despite an otherwise modern and cheeky rock sound that fits well into the Swedish radio format. DON PATROL delivers dense rock riffs and cocky vocals with conviction, while the melodious factor is always present. Listen to these four tasters and think back to how good hard rock once was - and at the same time realize how good it still is!