Casablanca - Riding A Black Swan

Published September 13 2013

*=Staff's pick	The Giant Dreamless Sleep* Hail The Liberation* Dead End Street Revisited* It's Alright Barriers Riding A Black Swan Some Misty Morning Heartbreak City No Devil In Me Just For The Nite

Genre	Hard Rock	Anders Ljung	Vocals
Tracks	10	Ryan Roxie	Guitar
Running time	37 Min.	Erik Stenemo	Guitar
Label	Gain/Sony Music	Mats Rubarth	Bass
Release	25 September 2013	Josephine Forsman	Drums
Country	Sweden	-	Keyboard
Producer	---
Similar artists	D-A-D

Swedish outfit Casablanca's sophomore release, overlook American guitarist Ryan Roxie. Their debut, 2012's Apocalyptic Youth, had some success, so I find this band in a kind of now or never situation. Hit hard or split. Casablanca plays a harder version of rock, not too complicated or artificial, but more straight and fairly modern with some heavier elements.

I'm stunned by the album's opening, as it's without any hesitation one of the most awesome moments I've heard this year until now. Track 1, The Giant Dreamless Sleep, is enthralling with a rhythmic beat, a cool groove and a fantastic melody. The album's first single, Hail The Liberation, is another song that hits hard. It's captivating and melodic and it makes me think of thirty year old catchy rock music with a somewhat different touch.

Track 3, Dead End Street Revisited, closes this magnificent trio and has a fantastic melody, a to the point chorus and a picking background guitar sound that makes me dance on my living room table in a euphoric state. The guitar with its neat small licks, here and also throughout the record, is astounding and appealing to me and I like how the notes buries themselves deep within my ear canals to form a massive entirety.

From track 4 and forward, this album loses a bit of its divine kick ass quality. Make no mistake, the songs are still good, yet without those highly accurate and essential moments with striking choruses and a great go to fill the void. The title track rocks hard though and so does Some Misty Morning, however not reaching that breakpoint of rapture.

This is an album that I find attractive nonetheless. All from the precise guitar play to the way the songs mesmerize me to the point of ecstasy. Catchy, captivating and kind of easy going. Also up-to-date, despite an older touch. 8 chalices to Riding A Black Swan.