The melodic rock tastemakers at Frontiers Records have done it again. If you’re keeping tabs, it’s time to add Perfect Plan to the seemingly endless list of Scandinavian AOR bands keeping the 80s alive. Perfect Plan came onto my radar last year when a friend shared the music video of their cover of Foreigner’s “That Was Yesterday”. I went on to check out their debut full length, All Rise, and must say that I was thoroughly impressed.
Their latest album, Time for a Miracle, is very much a continuation of the 80s Foreigner-esque sound (think Agent Provocateur and Inside Information) explored on All Rise. The only difference between then and now is the songwriting is stronger and the riffs are heavier. Now by heavy I don’t mean overbearing. Unlike the recent efforts of Pretty Maids and Eclipse which tend to go a little overboard with industrial grade riffing that’s mixed way too high, Perfect Plan balances it perfectly with the synths and vocals, creating a sound that’s heavy, yet full.
Singer Kent Hilli has been compared to some of the finest frontmen in the genre and for good reason. While the anthemic hooks of tracks like “Every Time We Cry” and “Don’t Blame it on Love Again” are bound to stick in the head of any melodic rocker, Hilli’s voice gives them that extra boost, elevating Perfect Plan to the upper echelon of modern AOR. Some say he sounds like Jimi Jamison. Others say he sounds like Fergie Frederiksen. I hear a bit of both deceased giants, as well as a touch of Kelly Hansen.
My choice cut is “Heart to Stone”. Easily the heaviest track on here, it boasts that old school 80s melodic metal sound of Europe and Pretty Maids. The riffs are ferocious, the rhythm section is powerful, the synths are dreamy, and Hilli’s passionate vocals are the icing on this retro cake. And this is really the approach no matter which style is being explored. Whether its a ballad (“Fighting to Win”), the blues (“Nobody’s Fool”), or just orthodox AOR (*insert random track here*), Perfect Plan put their best foot forward from beginning to end.
Sophomore slump? Not here. Time for a Miracle is a miraculous breath of fresh air among a crowded field of copy/paste AOR bands. With that said, I wouldn’t go as far to call this their masterpiece. If they’ve grown this much in two albums, I can only imagine what a third has in store. After all, third time’s the charm.
7 out of 10
Label: Frontiers Records
Genre: AOR
For fans of: Foreigner, Survivor, Eclipse