State of Salazar - All the Way

State of Salazar All the Way cover
State of Salazar
All the Way
Frontiers Records
2014
8.5
State Of Salazar is a newcomer from Sweden which was formed in 2010. During a 4-year period they managed to release an EP, “Lost My Way” in 2012, sign a contract with Frontiers records after a while and finally release their debut in 2014. Putting out your debut release through one of the major AOR/melodic rock labels ain’t a minor thing and it requires talent and skills to do so. Fortunately, State of Lazar have ‘em both…
 
The things that surprised me from the very first moment are the songwriting maturity this young band has and the wonderful sense of melodies. These guys do know how to write great and sensational songs! Blending classic AOR, with melodic rock, pop-rock, rock & roll, arena rock, art-rock and Westcoast music, they go one step further; they filter their influences by Styx, Journey, Queen, Survivor, Foreigner, Toto, Chicago, Boston, Asia, Bill Conti and Vince DiCola among others, with their personal musical ID and present something fresh, positive and contemporary. The production is also smooth, clear and full. The band cooperated with the renowned producer Markus Nilsson (A.C.T, Andromeda, Royal Republic, Deville, etc.) for the production and with the famous Tony Lindgren (Paradise Lost, Kreator, Enslaved, Katatonia) for the mastering.
 
All the performances on the album are great, but I must emphasize on the singer, Marcus, who has one of those voices that can send chills down your spine! What a voice! Just listen to the captivating “Love of My Life” to get my point! But do not get things wrong. State Of Salazar is like a well-oiled AOR machine… in which every member plays a main role in order to come up with/create the specific music outcome. “All the Way” is not like the other “retro” AOR/melodic rock releases. It has a more up-to-date, fresh and prolific sound in consort with a hopeful & jubilant feeling throughout the album. I strongly believe that “All the Way” is among the top AOR/melodic rock debuts for 2014… their music path has already been paved properly…