WHITE FLAME - Cougar (2012)
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Here at 0dayrockz presented WHITE FLAME some weeks ago.
The quartet from Finland have been in operation since 2002 releasing two albums and making some noise hitting two #1 singles in the Scandinavian chart.
After three years since their last album, finally White Flames' third CD "Cougar" hit the stores today. And well worth the wait.
White Flame's music has a shining vibrant '80s feel with a modern basis sparkling through, some kind of hair metal blended with melodic rock with that unmistakable Scandi flavor.
Right from the start with "Get What’s Mine" you'll be in love with this disc. A melodious rocker with a bouncing rhythm, catchy riff and harmonic vocals. The sound is incredibly crisp and brilliant.
Then we have the already presented single "I Know Where You Live", a contagious melodic hard rock anthem that surely will hit the rock charts, at least, in Europe.
"Make Believe" is one of the more mature tracks on the CD, an adult midtempo pop-rocker with thick sound and fantastic layers of harmonies. Love it!
Ready for some cowbell? Title track takes you straight to '80s Sunset Blvd, a foot tapping track plenty of swagger, followed by the tongue in cheek "What Girls Like".
The retro twang of "Used To Be A Girl" is simply catchy with its Enuff 'Z Nuff-like chorus, and then we get back to anthemic hard rock with the bombastic and aptly titled "Right Back In". Just love these guitars.
It should be noted that the tracklist in this album was cleverly done selecting the appropriate song sequence to make the CD flow like a charm.
Next there's the rocking and catchy version of Roxette's classic hit "The Look" filled with stinging guitars an huge drums, before White Flame surprise us with the finely orchestrated ballad "Stay", a commercial midtempo superbly arranged, a tune with single hit potential.
I said the song sequence benefits this album, and 'we get' back to rock with "We Get It On", a moving hard rocker with a hot riff reminding you late seventies Aerosmith just with tons of modern layered guitars.
How about some bombastic super-produced anthem? "Gutted" is a pumping, fist in the air anthem ready for arenas.
Last track "The Question" finds the band exploring some more elaborated sounds adding acoustics and strings, a semi-slow tune but not a ballad. Interesting, though I prefer the band rocking hard.
White Flame has released an album that, if properly managed, easily could shot them to stardom.
"Cougar" is varied, swaggering, sexy-charged and catchy as Hell. These guys have killer songs with a commercial focus but rocking, stadium-rock inspired with huge radio friendly melodies.
One of the highest points in this album is the awesome production, surely the best heard recently. Handled by the afamed knob-twiddler Chris Laney - probably the most talented rock producer around at the moment - there's tons of multi-track layers of sounds expertly mixed with a crisp output.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
1. Get What’s Mine
2. I Know Where You Live
3. Make Believe
4. Cougar
5. What Girls Like
6. Used To Be a Girl
7. Right Back In
8. The Look
9. Stay
10. We Get It On
11. Gutted
12. The Question
Vince: Vocals
Anthon: Guitars
Sammye: Bass
Jony: Drums
BUY IT !
www.recordshopx.com/artist/white_flame/cougar
