Counterline
One

It isn’t the most common thing to write about South American bands, especially not the ones from Colombia, but that is where Counterline hails from. Usually, it is extreme metal we get from there, but this time it is AOR and it is certainly a cover that looks AOR from every perspective. So, it doesn’t look exotic, but it is always interesting to hear something from places that doesn’t send many albums our way. So, how about these guys, does the Colombian heritage give them a special sound? Unfortunately it doesn’t, they sound more like something Scandinavian.

When I first heard this album, without checking out anything about them I figured they were from Sweden or Finland, the vocalist sounds a bit Finnish. You can compare them to many Swedes or Finns in the genre, and the great names as well if you like. It is AOR according to the genre standard, not much in terms of fresh ideas or originality – kind of like most AOR released. The songs are extremely catchy, the melodies distinctive, the vocalist is pretty good, and the sound is modern and up to genre standard. There is nothing that stands out about this album, the playing time is quite usual, the melodies typical, and the sound is pretty much up to standard, as is the selection of songs.

The title track is quite excellent, many times I press the back button the music player when hearing that one, one can always listen to it once more. It is a really catchy and good song, the beginning of the album is good overall, but then I think it kind of dies down a bit towards the end. It is a good and catchy album, but hardly one that will write itself into the history books. It is for the ones that are already deep into the realm of AOR, it isn’t one that strikes me as particularly creative, or memorable. It has its excellent moments, but in the end it isn’t an album that will remain in my playlists.

I might keep the title track, as that shows Counterline in their best light. There are a few other smaller highlights on the album as well, but it is a pretty insignificant release that doesn’t make a mark in music history. One will soon be forgotten despite the quality of its title track.

HHHHHHH