GYPSY ROSE – Gypsy Rose

Swedish Gypsy Rose was formed in 1981. Unfortunately for the band, the 80s never brought them a record deal that would last long enough to assure them a release of an album. In 1991, the band gave up and disbanded. Last year, however, the members decided to give the band a new shot, 24 years after their first try.

Now their debut album is finally ready, released on GerMusica. One could guess that the band by now is doing this mostly for fun. The guys of Gypsy Rose probably understand that achieving world domination is a little bit too late by now. Not that they’ve gotten too old themselves, but while recording their self-titled debut, they have not at all paid attention to the development of the Hard Rock sound in the last 2.5 decades.

Every track on the album is a strong reminder of the tradition of the 80s sound and songwriting. Singer Håkan Gustafsson sounds a lot like Scorpion’s Klaus Meine, and the rest of the band sounds like … eh … the Scorpions. Add some Slaughter, Sons Of Angels, and Ratt, plus a bit of the heavier acts Whitecross and TNT, and the description of Gypsy Rose should be covered.

The album is thoroughly well-played, and along with the clear and guitar-oriented production, catchy choruses are no strangers. Tracks like the opener “When You Leave At Night,” “You Drive Me Crazy,” “You,” and “Queen Of The Night” are all good examples of this. However, it should be added that all these moments are to be found on the album’s first half. The ballads make up the album’s weakest parts, and the mid-tempo tunes “Promise To Stay” and “Burning” really far from represent Gypsy Rose’s strongest achievements.

One could easily label this recording as a package of clichés. It’s all eighties. It’s all been heard hundreds of times before. Still, considering the band’s history, one can’t help being happy for the guys for finally getting an album out. They won’t put the world on fire, but to anyone who still has an open mind to the joyfulness of the eighties’ melodic Hard Rock scene, Gypsy Rose should be worth a listen. After all, all those bands Gypsy Rose reminds you of are bands quite a few of you out there still appreciate a lot.

The disc will include a bonus track called “Solitude.”