Allen/Olzon – Worlds Apart

7/10

Another project from Frontiers Records. This time Russell Allen has teamed up with Anette Olzon who sang with Nightwish on three albums. And as when I reviewed Sons Of Apollo, I feel a bit partial because my adoration for Symphony X and Russell’s vocals. Symphony X without the prog parts is what we get here.

In some way I felt Anette was a bit misplaced in Nightwish, she might not have been given the chance either but here I feel that she felt she had a chance for a revenge and returned with a very convincing performance. “I’ll never leave you” is the first song where Anette are left to her own and yes, here you do hear some Nightwish melodies and a track that is one I have to pick as a stand out track. When “What if I leave” comes on I for the first time hear Russell’s “normal” voice and he still sing so much better than a lot of today’s metal vocalists and he is one of those singers that could get a totally wreck of a song to be something listenable without even trying too hard.

I might have thought “oh no not another Frontiers project” but this one is fantastic.
The guitar intro of “No sign of life” is a close cousin to any latter-day Maiden song and Anette just knocks you off your socks here.

I don’t know what leg to stand on when it comes to projects, but this is something I would love to see live. This record might be fighting for a top spot when it comes to end of the year lists. An album I didn´t want to end. This album kept me on alert all the time. 11 tracks seem like four or five in this company. I don’t want to use too many superlatives but just leave it to this: Check this record out.

Artist: Allen/Olzon
Title: Worlds Apart
Label: Frontiers
Date of release:6/3 2020
Rate:7/10
Stand out track: “No Sign of life”