TXS – Transmission X

Four men from Norway come to us with honesty and unpretentious. Everything about this project radiates AOR and mellowness, so nobody is fooled into buying the album because it is filed under “Hard ‘n’ Heavy”. That is very commendable, especially since TXS do not need to blend in with the rest, as they deliver a very nice blend of Melodic Rock and AOR.

Originally three of the four guys worked together during the early days of Hush, more than ten years ago. Now they return to present stadium compatible, radio friendly, melody driven Rock which includes all the facets one may expect: straight rockers with a powerful voice, nicely balanced guitar and keys, and a fair share of ballads that are strategically placed as songs three, six and ten.

The only moment when the album stumbles is in the middle, when the song “Unbelievable” and the following ballad “Kicking Leaves” drag the slow parts out a bit too much. The first of those is a cover version originally by Def Leppard, and this is something the band does not need to do anyway as almost every one of their compositions on Transmission X beats the song from the British Rock legends.

Overall, this album is for AOR fans only as it does not take a peek over the boundaries of the genre, which is indeed a welcome fact when you just want good, handmade Rock music. No experiments, no modern sounds, the band lets the music do the talking and seems not to care if their commercially potent music and catchy choruses agree with the Zeitgeist, or not. The only bad thing is that the album has the best songs right in the beginning, so after the middle section it cannot accelerate again to the same cruising speed they had in the beginning. It still is good, but just not as good.

Transmission X is recommended for those who like an occasional dose of Bon Jovi, enjoy a bit of Foreigner now and then, listen to Classic Rock radio when in their car – in fact, this album would make a nice addition to every station’s play list – and can stand some Journey once in a while. Good stuff.