Jukebox:Metal

Sandalinas - Fly To The Sun

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Metal Heaven
Produced by Andy LaRocque

Sandalinas are centered around namesake and lead guitarist Jordi Sandalinas, who studied as a pianist before switching to guitar upon hearing Adrian Smith for the first time. He took guitar lessons in Spain and America and caught the ear of King Diamond guitarist Andy LaRocque with his compositions.

LaRocque produced the first Sandalinas album, Living On The Edge, with Firewind front-man Apollo Papathanasio handling the vocals, which gained a lot of a good press and secured support slots in Spain with several major international acts (Billy Idol, Scorpions etc.) The new Sandalinas band features At Vance vocalist Rick Altzi alongside Yngwie Malmsteen drummer Patrick Johansson, Blackmore’s Night bassist Mick Cervino and Dragonland keyboard player Elias Holmild. LaRocque contributes some guitar solos, as does Chris Caffery, while Derek Sherinian helps out on keyboards.

The resultant album is a perfect blend of melodic rock and heavy metal riffs. One of the first things to be sacrificed by melodic rock bands tends to be the heaviness, but like House of Games last year, Sandalinas have leant towards a metal sound while keeping the catchy songwriting style of the likes of Talisman and Jorn.

There are undoubted highlights. The main riff to Bad Dreams, for example, is immense. Ring of Fire similarly. But aside from a few lyrical clichés every track is strong. Rick Altzi’s similarities to Mats Levén, whom he replaced in At Vance are obvious, and at various points he sounds just like Mats did wailing on the equally hard rock Brand New Start album by current Poodles guitarist Pontus Norgren. At others, like Talisman’s Jeff Scott Soto (No Matter What, The Healer Talks).

When Back From The Light starts it seems for a second like Fly To The Sun is going to the follow the same pattern as most melodic rock albums, with a ballad at track four, but it turns out it’s just a short instrumental lead-in to one of many anthems-in-the-making No Matter What. The album’s only ballad actually comes at the very end with Seasons In The Sand; a tastefully handled effort that provides a very fitting ending to the album as it builds at the end.

Jordi, Rick and company have produced what could very well be the best melodic rock/metal album of the year. It doesn’t really put a foot wrong and avoids all the tired Journey-isms that befall most bands who try to make this kind of album. With Talisman calling it a day last year there’s definitely a place for Sandalinas to step into, and there’s no reason why they can’t fulfil that potential.

by Andy Lye

“ anthems-in-the-making ”

Tracklist: Fly To The Sun / Never Seen Before / Bad Dreams / Back From The Light / No Matter What / As The Rain Falls / Double Cross / Ring of Fire / The Wrong Side of Me / Shadows In the Rain / The Healer Talks / Seasons In The Sand

Written by Andy Lye - January 2008
More: Albums, Heavy Rock, Sandalinas