Album review: CHRIS ROSANDER – The Monster Inside

Pride & Joy Music [Release date 17.02.23]

Chris Rosander released his debut album ‘King Of Hearts’ in 2020 on the now defunct AOR Heaven. As the pandemic put paid to any live plans, Chris Rosander started work on making more music which brings us to this album.

Chris says about the new album, “A monster inside. Don’t we all have one of those? I know I do, and I believe that the most of us have, metaphorically speaking a monster inside and that’s what this work is all about. On this record you get to hear 11 stories/songs about different people, each got a more twisted/darker side of them self than the other.”

Chris Rosander produced the album, as well as playing guitar and keys, and was joined by Perfect Plan’s P-O Sedin (bass guitars), Magnus ‘Grunna’ Grundström (drums), Rasmus Fors and Johan Sjödin (keyboards), and Anton Frengen (guitar).

The title track openers the album with a heavy hard rock punch as befits the song’s lyrical content. ‘This Isn’t New’ is a similarly darker song, although the parping keys stop the song becoming too gloomy!

Those Toto influences can be heard loud and clear on ‘Only Hearts Die Young’. Prime time AOR and that guitar solo is rather special too. ‘High On Love’ is another Toto-like song and again the guitar solo is top notch.

‘Northern Lights’ and ‘Little White Lines’ (loving the funky rhythm section on this one) have a latter day Europe feel to them, whilst ‘When I’m Gone’ is a nicely arranged ballad. Hid love of West Coast AOR shines through on here with glorious keys and harmonzied backing vocals aplenty.

Chris Rosander has progressed from his debut release with a deeper sound & production. Having a theme running thtough all the songs also helps to make this a more cohesive effort. The harder edge to some of the songs, without losing that melodic rock attraction, is another plus point in the album’s favour. For a guy in his mid-20′s he is making music you’d expect from a more seasoned musician and here we have his finest album to date. ****

Review by Jason Ritchie

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