Dynazty – Sultans Of Sin
DYNAZTY
SULTANS OF SIN
Released on February 29, 2012 (Stormvox Records/SoFo Records)
Track List:
01. Come Alive
02. Raise Your Hands
03. Land Of Broken Dreams
04. Falling
05. More Than A Man
06. Love Junkie
07. The One To Blame
08. Back Again
09. Bastards Of Rock & Roll
10. Sultans Of Sin
Band Members:
Nils Molin – vocals
Rob Love Magnusson – guitar
Mike Laver – guitar
Joel Fox Apelgren – bass
George Egg – drums
Production:
Produced by Peter Tagtgren.
Review:
So far 2012 has been an incredible year for melodic hard rock-styled music, and this new Dynazty offering is perhaps the best one so far! Last year we saw them create a new kind of sound with unique semi-rap metal verses mixed with the big choruses of the ’80s. After a short turnaround, only 10 months later, the Swedish rockers are back with even bigger soaring vocals and crunchier riffs, pursuing their most straight-up hard rock release with added sleaze.
The album kicks of with “Come Alive”, a fast paced rock tune that sets the scene for what’s to come. “Raise Your Hands” is next up and it’s an energetic riff-based anthem sure to take you into the virtual mosh-pit of your own home. “Land Of Broken Dreams” is a certain stand out — the lyrics here could almost be viewed as cheesy, but for me the lyrical structure keeps it interesting and current. With a relentless driving rhythm, this tune climaxes during the powerful chorus and you never want it to end, and it contains the best vocal performance of the year so far. Then we reach the first of two ballads, “Falling”, where again Nils Molin parades his expert vocal skills.
The middle core of this album is classic Dynazty. “More Than A Man”, “Love Junkie” and “The One To Blame” keep the mood flowing and lead us straight into the second ballad. “Back Again” is one of my favorite power ballads of the new Swedish rock scene. The tender, rich vocals overflow and should evoke plenty of emotion in every listener. Sultans Of Sin is rounded off with the band’s two sleaziest songs yet — “Bastards Of Rock & Roll” and the title track show us the darker side we’ve been waiting to see.
I’m not automatically a fan over the over-polished sound of every pop recording when it comes to rock. There tends to be a rawness lacking in most cases, however in this case the production of Peter Tagtgren does justice to the skills of all the band members. The key to this album is most definitely the always improving vocals of Nils Molin, putting him at the very top of the tree in the world today. His style of non-stop energy and passion is perfectly complimented by his smooth transition into his upper register with seeming ease (as highlighted in “Land Of Broken Dreams” and “Back Again”). The introduction of guitarist Mike Laver adds the extra bite heard here and works well alongside the technically brilliant Rob Love Magnusson. Joel Fox Apelgren keeps the bass lines simple and holds it together whilst George Egg brings the rhythm section to life with classic ’80s style driving beats. Finally the backing vocals on display are exceptional, especially when you see them replicate it live.
All in all, Sultans Of Sin is a must have album for any hard rock fan. Dynazty are definitely a relevant band who are starting the get the recognition they deserve and as the band themselves say, “Stay tuned for more awesomeness in our journey towards becoming the biggest rock band in THE WORLD!”
www.dynazty.com – www.facebook.com/dynaztyband – www.stormvox.com
Reviewed by Alleycat for Sleaze Roxx, April 2012
Review:
Sweden is single-handedly carrying the torch of modern ’80s rock and metal, and Dynazty are no exception as they return with Sultans Of Sin — the band’s third consecutive album and the first to feature new guitarist Mike Laver.
Right from the beginning chugging riff of “Come Alive”, you know what kind of album this will shape out to be — a true hard rock outing, paying dear homage to the flawless 1980’s. The sleaze-soaked verses and energetic chorus of the opening track get things moving in a fine manner and are followed by “Raise Your Hands”, which may be the weakest song on the disc because of its cliched Pantera-like “Walk” riff which has been used to death over the past decade. That is not to say “Raise Your Hands” is bad by any means, but it is just not a worthy follow-up to the powerful knock-out punch of “Come Alive”. The first single, “Land Of Broken Dreams”, picks up the ground lost by “Raise Your Hands” and I could tell from the first note that this was defiantly the right choice for a single. The song has great hooks, a driving chorus and gang vocals which would play great in a live setting for sure.
A power ballad in the form of “Falling” follows and is one of my favorite tracks on the album. Perhaps it’s been done to death, but the power-ballad has always been one of my favorite aspects of the ’80s rock and metal era. And from listening to this track, it is no mystery why — “Falling” is the lost gem of a track Whitesnake wish they could still write. It should be noted that thus far into Sultans Of Sin the band has been performing flawlessly in a true ’80s fashion — but Nils Molin should receive most of the credit due to his fantastic delivery on lead vocals. He truly sounds like David Coverdale‘s long lost son, and that is a big compliment.
The next three tracks — “More Than A Man”, “Love Junkie”, and “The One To Blame” — are all perfect examples of hard driving rock songs played with a definitive amount of sleaze to please all rockers and metal-heads. And it is at this point in the album that we come upon the first real acoustic ballad. Even though electric guitars do eventually rip through the track mid-way, “Back Again” is undeniably the romantic ballad all sleaze bands worth their salt crave. “Bastards Of Rock & Roll” and the title track wrap the album up in a great way — perhaps the strongest songs of the disc, they exemplify Dynazty‘s ability in the modern sleaze genre. The title track is, in fact, the best track of the album with its extremely heavy main riff and Molin‘s screeching vocals.
By the time the last note fades, I’m ready for another spin of Sultans Of Sin, which is as good of a compliment as I can give. I can also safely say that Dynazty can now be mentioned alongside other Swedish sleaze legends like CrashDiet, Crazy Lixx, and Hardcore Superstar… which I believe is the greatest compliment of all. I’m looking forward to hearing some more Dynazty material in the coming years and hopefully I’ll be lucky enough to catch them in concert if they ever come to the States. All in all, Sultans Of Sin may rank as one of the greatest 2012 albums, but with the competition being so fierce this year it may have to be bumped a couple of places before year’s end. Aside for this, Sultans Of Sin is highly recommended listening.
www.dynazty.com – www.facebook.com/dynaztyband – www.stormvox.com
Reviewed by Ryan Krol for Sleaze Roxx, March 2012
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