JORN – Unlocking The Past

Jørn Lande is a man that doesn’t need much introduction. He’s known for his work with bands and artists like Masterplan, Yngwie Malmsteen, Vagabond, Uli Jon Roth, and Joe Lynn Turner, just to mention a few. Unlocking The Past is Lande’s tribute to the giants in Hard Rock history, and you might say he made the ultimate cover album. This album features material from legendary bands like Deep Purple and Whitesnake, and Lande really succeeds in making the songs tailored to his own style. The album contains great versions and they sound exciting and are much heavier than the originals.

The songs are mostly leftovers from past recordings or bonus tracks. There are also a couple of songs that were recorded especially for this album. Even some old tracks from Jørn’s first solo record, Starfire, was re-recorded for this release; “Burn” and “The Day The Earth Caught Fire.”

The second song on this album is a Whitesnake cover; “Fool For Your Loving.” It’s a little slower than the original and harder as well. The slow tempo makes it a little rougher than the two Whitesnake versions; it actually reminds you of Lande’s solo stuff. The band sounds chimeric, giving the songs such a heavy sound. But, what’s up with the guitar solo? This one sucks big time. Steve Vai’s (eminent) solo from the Slip Of The Tongue album was absolutely priceless, and to hear this one take its place is a total nightmare. Anyway, Lande sings marvellously on this track as well. He shows off his raw and distinct voice all the way through.

“Cold Sweat” is the ultimate Hard Rock track. It sounds extremely powerful and tight, topped by Lande’s inspired vocals. Sometimes the guitar-play sounds like Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society) because of the extreme overtones. The guitar solo seems classically inspired and sounds really good. At the end of the song, a nice overtone is tossed right in your face … very nice!

“Kill The King” is a real listening pleasure. It’s a cover of Rainbow and sounds terrific. Lande makes it so massive, and you can actually forget the amazing voice of Dio when Lande starts to sing on this one. It just takes you away … totally. The band has a fantastic sound and the keyboard solo kicks some solid ass! And, when Lande comes in after the solos … well, his chimeric voice blows your freaking mind out. This is awesome singing, absolutely priceless! “Kill The King” is without any doubt the very best song on this record.

“Perfect Strangers” is a little different than the Deep Purple version. It starts out with an atmospheric (tension) and is very experimental compared to the original version, featuring a lot of different keyboard/organ sounds and effects. When the band kicks in you can hear at once that this is much heavier than the original. Maybe that is because of the differences when it comes to the production side. There’s a keyboard lick that is played in minor and it makes the song very special and atmospheric. Lande’s vocals are aggressive and fabulous. It’s always a real pleasure listening to him, and what he does on this record is no exception. The only thing that pulls down this song a little is the endless end. Of course, there’s a lot of deviating twists in it and it sounds more interesting than the Deep Purple ending, but after a while you feel like it’s enough.

All in all, this is a very nice piece of work by Jørn. He has definitely done “it” again, and all hail Jørn for another Metal masterpiece!

Lineup

Vocals – Jorn Lande
Guitar – Jörn Viggo Lofstad, Tore Moren, Ronnie Le Tekro, Ralph Santolla, and Shane French
Drums – Willy Bendiksen, Stian L. Kristoffersen, John Macaluso, and Oliver Hanson
Bass – Morty Black, Steinar Krokmo, Espen Mjøen, and Manfred Binder
Keyboards – Ronny Tegner and Don Airey

Tracklist

1. On And On
2. Fool For Your Loving
3. Cold Sweat
4. Lonely Is The Word/Letters From Earth
5. Burn
6. Feel Like Making Love
7. Kill The King
8. Perfect Strangers
9. Naked City
10. The Day The Earth Caught Fire