Treat Ghost Of Graceland cd review



As soon as I heard that legendary Swedish band Treat were to release a new album it went to the top of my wanted list of 2016.

6 long years since their what appeared at one point to be last cd the quite colossal Coup De Grace Treat release Ghost of Graceland through Frontiers Records Srl on the 15th of April.

So the most important question is it any good?

Of course it is Treat don't release bad albums and it has all of the trademarks of Treat with massive vocal harmonies and choruses so huge you will be singing them within minutes with big guitars and guitar solo's that soar to the heaven's.

Opening track is the title track and what an opener.After a short atmospheric piece the guitar of Anders Wikstrom kick in with real force as the band hit hard for the first 30 seconds.It all builds to the chorus and Robert Ernlund's melodic vocal line on a classic Treat chorus with some great backing vocals too.
Patrick Appelgren's keys give the song a real depth and the rhythm team of new boy on bass Pontus Egberg(formerly of King Diamond)and Jamie Borger on drums hit a monster groove with the production of Peter Mansson giving a real clarity and punch.
Mid song there is an symphonic keyboard part as the band take it down before the first of many short fiery and always melodic guitar solo's from Wikstrom.
In the outro guitar melodies and riffs all fight to be heard alongside Appelgren's keys.Brilliant.



I Don't Miss The Misery is a balls out rocker with a huge guitar riff and then the bass and drums crash in on another massive groove led song.
It builds to a big chorus and you end up thinking how did they get from a menacing guitar riff to such a melodic chorus in the same song!!!!Wikstrom adds some fantastic guitar melodies and a solo that goes alongside Ernlund singing the main chorus line and he also solo's under Ernlund's vocal on the outro.

Better The Devil You Know is another melodic rocker with a a jabbing guitar riff and has a lengthy pre chorus with Ernlund showing off his melodic vocal range before a chorus that again needs to be heard in concert halls worldwide.
The mid song band interplay features a Hammond solo from Appelgren before Wikstrom's lengthy guitar solo has him mimicking the vocal line.

First ballad is Do Your Own Stunts and sees Wikstrom writing about a father trying to teach his kids how to live their lives to the fullest.Keys and vocal and picked electric guitar till the first chorus end before bass and drums are added.Appelgren's keys are the to the full and he adds some real flourishes to the sound.Wikstrom's guitar solo hits the mark and of course Ernlund's vocal shines.



Endangered has a picked electric intro before bass and drums groove again and Appelgren's keys riff entwines with Wikstrom's guitar riff.
Huge huge chorus with big backing vocals that gets a heavier band presence under it with Berger's powerhouse drum style to the fore.A Wikstrom slide guitar solo gives the song a different feel on a hard hitting melodic rock song that Threat do so well.



Inferno has a keys intro and you think ballad and then at 20 seconds Wikstrom's stop start guitar riff cuts through as Berger again pulls another groove monster with able back up from Egberg.The chorus again is just pure melodic heaven and that is all there is to say.



Alien Earthlings has a slow keys and picked guitar intro before a mid pace stomp of a song.
that changes in the verse as Wikstrom to a picked riff.Another lengthy pre chorus and a slower chorus with Ernlund again showing his quality and ample backing vocals.

Non Stop Madness has a keys intro before the main stop start guitar riff kicks in as the keys drop out before it all meshes together pre chorus and a shorter chorus with the words repeated.

Too Late To Die Young is another groove laden track with Wikstrom's guitar to the full and Berger and Egberg again impressing.You think of Treat as melodic rock but they show time and time again how hard they rock and how powerful they are.

House On Fire sees a big guitar riff fighting alongside a keyboard riff before in the first verse the keys go down a notch before all crashing in pre chorus with yet another classic chorus that sees the keys higher in the mix.

Together Alone is ballad number two with Wikstrom on lead vocals and giving it a different approach on a piano and vocal only number with Appelgren's symphonic feel to the fore.

Everything To Everyone is a mid pace number to finish that is all about the massive melodic chorus that you can imagine being played live as the whole crowd wave from side to side.

Ghost Of Graceland is Treat doing what Treat do best with a melodic rocker's dream of an album.

Is it as Coup De Grace?I can't answer that as I have had that album 6 years all I know is that it ticks all of the boxes with me and will be in many including mine top albums of the year.

Superb.











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