SAMMY BERELL – Passion Dreams

Passion Dreams is the debut album from Swedish shredder Sammy Berell. Berell’s bio on his website tells the story of himself as a child being captivated by a church organist playing Classical music, and that initial spark of inspiration is extremely evident throughout Passion Dreams. Many of the song titles allude to Christian themes, and the listener can’t help but draw comparisons to another well known, Strat wielding Swede with Neoclassical roots: Yngwie Malmsteen. Lead vocal duties on the record are shared by Mike Vescera and Goran Edman, both Malmsteen alum, and the production value of much of Passion Dreams is very reminiscent of late ’80s/early ’90s Malmsteen.

Songs like “Judgement Day”, “Starlight”, and the title track could be easily be presented as unreleased tracks from Yngwie and few would question it. But Burell is no simple Yngwie wanna be. While the Neoclassic Shred influence is undeniable throughout the record, it does depart from the formula. “Sinner (Little) Sinner” has great Scorpions vibe, and “Red Light Eyes (Devil In Disguise)” has a great early ’90s Rock feel that alludes to some later Malmsteen but does a nice job of not overwhelming the listener with it. “King Of Kings” has a downtuned groove that leans towards Symphonic Metal. Production-wise, this is a great sounding record. Every performance on every track is spot on, and the soaring vocals and blistering guitar leave nothing to be desired. For fans of Yngwie Malmsteen, Neoclassical, Symphonic Metal, or just guitar in general, Sammy Berell’s Passion Dreams is a definite must listen.

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