Record Label: Sanctuary
Genre: Hair metal
Band Link: link
Buy on Amazon.com link

Ok all you closet hair-band freaks – Europe is back. Again. The follow-up to their ’05 release Start from the Dark (SftD) comes Secret Society. C’mon you remember the Final Countdown? Well I’m counting down the minutes I’ve listened to this and waiting for the riffs to start sinking in and some melodies I can remember and play some wicked air-guitar to. It just seems too scattered and not as tight or put together as their last album.

Joey tempest is certainly on key and the guitar work is flawless. The arrangements just don’t seem Europe-like. SftD was such as great album the sophomore release of the reborn Europe is a little disappointing. It’s worth a listen and probably more than one. Always the Pretenders is the first single and getting some radio play – at least on satellite. Sign of the Times (Live) was an underrated song from the past and performed with a lot of life. Recorded in Japan, those Japanese hair-metal fans rock. Keeping the genre alive while us Americans decided to take a few trips to Seattle and bake in our own flannel for a decade. Anyway – take a trip to Europe and check out Secret Society. No special handshake required.

Bottom Line: Worth a listen or two.
Notable Tracks: Sign of the Times, Always the Pretender
Overall Rating: