Morning Dwell
Morning Dwell
Doolittle Group AB
2014
I think I had better not deal with any (Euro) power metal bands anymore. I’ve written the same things for over a decade. I still shout that they should have a character of their own, have an individual sound and be musically interesting by filtering their influences without having to just “copy-paste” the giants of the genre. Has a single band/artist listened to what I’ve been saying for more than a decade? Huh! Not a chance! They still do what they do (mostly “copy-paste”) and afterwards they get disappointed and curse the press and the people for not getting it.
Hence, what’s Morning Dwell? It’s a project which began a decade or so ago by Petter Hjerpe who is vastly obsessed by Helloween (of the “Keeper…” era). It all started as a 10-year anniversary album comprised of songs Petter had written over the years. Petter played all the instruments himself and also did the vocals. So after a while apart from giving the demo-CD to his pals, he also sent it to some labels. The rest is history. In the meantime, Morning Dwell became a full-time band as all the positions were filled.
The album was produced by Frippe Eliasson & Petter Hjerpe & mixed by CJ Grimmark (Narnia, Rob Rock). I hardly think that they did many things on it. They should have taken the demo recordings and just try to make ‘em sound a bit “pro” but they couldn’t in the end as the overall sound is rather hollow and muffled. Petter wishes he could sing like Kiske, but he can’t even though he tries hard. Musically, this is third rate Helloween of the “Keeper…” era. Very predictable, insipid, tiresome and 100% unoriginal! Morning Dwell can be easily defined as a Helloween 3rd rate clone without a single inch of personality. They wish they were Helloween but luckily for all of us they ain’t!
Before I sum up I’m copying two quotes from the press release. Tommy “Reinxeed” Johansson expressed himself while listening to Morning Dwell’s demo: “This sounds like Helloween should have sounded today if they kept the same band members from the ‘Keeper of the Seven Keys’ era”! Christian Liljegren A&R at Doolittle Group also said that this is like a “Keeper of the Seven Keys part 3”. Need I say more?!! Just imagine Helloween releasing the same album again & again?!! How dreadful is that?!! Ohh by the way Helloween have already released “Keeper part3…” & even though it’s nowhere near the first two, it cannot be erased from their back-catalogue.
Hence, what’s Morning Dwell? It’s a project which began a decade or so ago by Petter Hjerpe who is vastly obsessed by Helloween (of the “Keeper…” era). It all started as a 10-year anniversary album comprised of songs Petter had written over the years. Petter played all the instruments himself and also did the vocals. So after a while apart from giving the demo-CD to his pals, he also sent it to some labels. The rest is history. In the meantime, Morning Dwell became a full-time band as all the positions were filled.
The album was produced by Frippe Eliasson & Petter Hjerpe & mixed by CJ Grimmark (Narnia, Rob Rock). I hardly think that they did many things on it. They should have taken the demo recordings and just try to make ‘em sound a bit “pro” but they couldn’t in the end as the overall sound is rather hollow and muffled. Petter wishes he could sing like Kiske, but he can’t even though he tries hard. Musically, this is third rate Helloween of the “Keeper…” era. Very predictable, insipid, tiresome and 100% unoriginal! Morning Dwell can be easily defined as a Helloween 3rd rate clone without a single inch of personality. They wish they were Helloween but luckily for all of us they ain’t!
Before I sum up I’m copying two quotes from the press release. Tommy “Reinxeed” Johansson expressed himself while listening to Morning Dwell’s demo: “This sounds like Helloween should have sounded today if they kept the same band members from the ‘Keeper of the Seven Keys’ era”! Christian Liljegren A&R at Doolittle Group also said that this is like a “Keeper of the Seven Keys part 3”. Need I say more?!! Just imagine Helloween releasing the same album again & again?!! How dreadful is that?!! Ohh by the way Helloween have already released “Keeper part3…” & even though it’s nowhere near the first two, it cannot be erased from their back-catalogue.