Album review: JORN – Traveller

Frontiers www.frontiers.it

Jorn “Dio” Lande is a busy man with his new album “Traveller” dropping 13 months after his last studio album the awfully titled “Bring Heavy Rock to the Land” and that does not include his “Symphonic” issue back in January either…

Norwegian vocalist Jorn Lande has been around since forming Vagabond in 1994 with ex-members of TNT. Since then he has been prolific releasing 9 studio albums under his own name plus ones with Masterplan, Allen-Lande, Ark and guesting on both Avantasia and Ayreon releases.

There have been changes to his backing band for this release with Wig Wam guitarist Trond Holter and bassist Bernt Jansen joining – no hair metal influences brought in though…

This then, his 10th studio album, is more of the same really – there are no prizes for spotting Jorn’s love of all things Dio.

“Overload” is a bit of a strange opener as it lacks a memorable chorus but things improve with a happy ditty about dying from cancer titled “Cancer Demon”. Title track “Traveller” sounds familiar and “Legend Man” is surely referencing Ronnie again and features some ominous Hammond organ just below the surface. “Carry The Black”, with its “no light in my darkness…only black” happy lyrics again, has to be mentioned for its totally off-the-wall “Scooby-Doo”-like spooky keyboards. Final track “The Man Who Would Be King” is another tribute to Mr Dio and a fine track it is too.

Almost all of the songs on display here can be associated with one of the periods in Dio’s career…so if you’re a Dio fan then there is much to enjoy…if you’re not really then Jorn’s vocals are always a thing to admire but his awe of the man can become a bit over-powering.

Long live the memory of RJD…and long may Jorn keep producing his own new Dio music…

***½

Phil Berisford


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