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Oliver Weers

Evil's Back

Written by: PP on 01/03/2011 21:46:38

In case you don't remember my fellow scribe TL's review of the Oliver Weers debut album "Get Ready" from a couple of years ago, here's a short recap. Mr. Weers is an X-Factor (stupid Danish talent show) failure who didn't fit the soulless pop-singer/group image that the show was going for, despite owning a remarkably good voice for 80s style hard rock/classic rock. So that's exactly what he proceeded to take advantage of in his revivalist hard rock / classic rock moniker carrying his own name.

Now, I didn't have the chance (or interest) in checking out the debut, which TL dubbed 'unconvincing' in the heavy music scene, but his sophomore record "Evil's Back" carries all the tell-tale signs of a solid hard rock release, even if it recalls bands like Whitesnake and a ton of others who've been releasing records decades now. Because when it comes to hard rock, Oliver Weers is competent. Nowhere near the old legends, of course, but songs like "All My Life" have anthemic, arena-sized sing alongs and mammoth soundscapes designed to stretch from side to side in large-scale auditoriums. "Hero" carries another giant sing along and some good, power metal inspired riffing, showcasing that "Evil's Back" isn't simply a display of Weers vocal ability alone which seemed to be the case on his debut album. Even the slower tracks like "Without You" stand on par with classics from the 80s in terms of quality, even if they might not stand chance on staying alive as timeless songs in the same way.

That said, there are still some problems with mr Weers' group. The songs are powerful and grabbing, but inconsistently so. You'll get about half an album's worth of hit material, the sort of songs that you'll happily hum along to when you hear them on the radio for the first time, but unfortunately the second half of the record in particular is filled with anonymous tracks that lack the same big punch of the tracks I've already mentioned here. Still, "Evil's Back" is a much better and more enjoyable effort than, say, about 80% of this stuff that we regularly receive from the germanic countries. So I say: convincing hard rock that doesn't stray a meter away from the genre's predefined style.

Download: All My Life, Without You, Hero, Need It Bad
For the fans of: Covered Call, Whitesnake, classic rock
Listen: Myspace

Release date 21.02.2011
Target Records