HARDCORE SUPERSTAR - C'mon Take On Me (2013)

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Gothenburg in Sweden has been lately one of the places in this cold country where the Hard Rock pot seems boiling hotter than in any other place, producing awesome bands in the genre.
HARDCORE SUPERSTAR is the pride of the city, as although the group turned globally known few years ago, they are rocking Scandinavia since the nineties and have released eight albums so far.
"C'mon Take On Me" is Hardcore Superstar's 9th CD, a plate that marks a cut above its predecessors and shows the band in a truly creative stage of their career.

With a style defined by the press as 'Street Metal' and tagged as 'Swedish sleaze rock' Hardcore Superstar made a name of themselves in Europe.
But read this carefully: "C'mon Take On Me" IS NOT a sleaze album.
With a musical orientation that slightly started to change with the previous CD, this brand new work from the band covers many spectres of more classic Hard Rock from both sides of the Atlantic ocean.
Helped by the intuitive production and mix by Randy Staub (Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, Metallica's Black Album) Hardcore Superstar now sounds polished and commercial than never before.

Some may argue they had lost the 'attakk' attitude, to me, it's a big step further for the band, as the sleaze sub-genre has been turned a bit repetitive in general, and this new more 'classic' hard, melodic hard rock approach fits them like a glove.
Despite the influence from classic acts, the songwriting and especially the arrangements, sound and production on "C'mon Take On Me" isn't ordinary at all.
This is not just a copycat exercise such as 'let's take the best of some proven formulas and make the next record'. Hardcore Superstar has impregnated the new material with several influences but all was done with their own personality, and if you ask me, it's quite distinctive.

And this is clear since the begininng of the CD; "Cutting the Slack" isn't your usual way to start a Hard Rock album. This instrumental looks like an intro but its length (over 2 min.) turns it as a standalone track. No guitars, no crashing drums; it's like a lullaby, mysterious, almost creepy sounds. Really interesting.
You are drowsy after that hypnotic first song, and then title track "C'mon Take On Me" explodes in your speakers like a bang... great effect. This short, impactful catchy roused number will rock your socks off!
The killer, commercial "One More Minute" is awesome. Structurally is a bluesy melodic hard rocker but wrapped by a ecstatic production. I hear some Aerosmith in the foundation, just think '87 Tesla but with a modern, glossy, processed production and some massive backing vocals.

Next, "Above The Law" is another winner. It's an infectious little song that will lift your ass off the couch in no time. Catchy as hell, it has all the fire and effervescence that Wig Wam seems had lost. Just listen those punctuating guitars ala '83 Def Leppard.
Follower "Are You Gonna Cry Now?" is a quite modern uptempo rocker with some nineties Motly Crue yet more atmospheric.
Hardcore Superstar then surprises with the moody, Americanized acoustic driven "Stranger of Mine". Sounds like a simple tune but it's pretty elaborated as it grows, adding orchestrated keys and dreamy sounds.
"Won't Take the Blame Pt. 1" and its "Pt. 2" coda delivers American post-sleazy stylized hard rock, think the adult Guns 'N Roses of Use Your Illusion, yet with even more polished production.

The uptempo "Dead Man's Shoes" is just a fun and contagious rocker in the Reckless Love vein (love the vintage solo), while on "Because of You" is the only track where some sleaze/street hard emerges a little, and among the rest of the songs this sounds like a nice variation than an example of the band's primal style.
I'd said variation? Another hint that this album is inspired by classic acts follows. Put yourself in the slightly surreal situation that AC/DC wake up one morning and realize 'damn guys, it's 2013, let's write a modern song but with our signature'. The song would probably sound like "Too Much Business". Close to the Australians 'Who Made Who' more polished years, this track is a true energy boost.
Final number "Long Time No See" is a monster mid-tempo semi-ballad akin '80s Def Leppard, with a fantastic refrain and a very classic chorus. I love this stuff.

If you read my extensive description above, you should have noticed I enjoyed "C'mon Take On Me" from start to finish. It's that good.
There is not a single weak track on this album. It's catchy, it's melodic, it's modern and classy inspired at the same time. Hardcore Superstar rocks on every song, each one arranged with the necessary own touch to make them distinctive.
All is helped by the first class production and mix, both items really involved to obtain this product as it resulted.
Super, Highly Recommended.


01. Cutting The Slack
02. C'mon Take On Me
03. One More Minute
04. Above The Law
05. Are You Gonna Cry Now
06. Stranger Of Mine
07. Won't Take The Blame pt. 1
08. Won't Take The Blame pt. 2 (Sect Meeting)
09. Dead Man's Shoes
10. Because Of You
11. Too Much Business
12. Long Time No See

Joakim "Jocke" Berg (Lead and Backing Vocals)
Martin Sandvick (Bass, Backing Vocals)
Magnus "Adde" Andreasson (Drums, Backing Vocals)
Vic Zino (Guitars, Backing Vocals)


Pre-Order:
www.nuclearblast.de/en/products/tontraeger/cd/cd/hardcore-superstar-c-mon-take-on-me.html