lulu
Member
Posts: 10 
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Post by lulu on Mar 28, 2015 14:10:39 GMT 2
I bought the magazine "Rock Hard" in France where Europe and Scorpions are on the cover. I must say i'm very angry against the editorial  , so i'm going to try to translate the passage talking about Europe it in english: " Europe and hatred ?[...] If there's one band I hate, is Europe. Like everybody, or almost, i played air guitar on the final countdown (rock the night too), playing like John Norum... But here it is, I hate Europe. HATE ! The hunks, poodles hairs, posing to the Coverdale, and the top of the flop, the band which pass in Michel Drucker (famous tv show in France) in 1986 or 1987 to play in playback. What a shame ! And over the years, it did not help. In 1991, when I'm waiting the band at Angus behind Intercontinental Hotel, Europe go out and when seeing some fans there, the bulge their chest, raise their heads, acting like rockstars. No luck, some french and germans "hards" presents are only waiting for the Young brothers and don't give a shit about those swedish boys who are boasting... They are shameless whistle to their surprise. I hate Europe and good news i'm not the only one. Since their return, I've seen the band live around 10 times with impeccable shows - and loved all their albums - with a constant and uncommon quality for a band on the back. Few bands are capable of such a feat. It has come to the point that, if I don't like my bank neither my firm, I like Europe. I LOVE EUROPE ! We can be so dumb when we're young..." Ok... the end is pretty good but i think this extract stay really mean, and Europe don't deserve it ! Because yes they acted like rockstars cause they were and are rockstars, every rock band had those hairs, besides, they were "obliged" to do those playbacks too and they were not the only one. The journalist says in the editorial at the beggining that he like AC/DC, Metallica etc... they also did playback ! But the 3 pages interview is really good, with good questions too. But they forgot to mention Mic in the formation of the band...  Sorry for my bad english in translation... Hope it will get understand !  |
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Post by ent on Mar 30, 2015 14:55:36 GMT 2
I bought the magazine "Rock Hard" in France where Europe and Scorpions are on the cover. I must say i'm very angry against the editorial , so i'm going to try to translate the passage talking about Europe it in english: " Europe and hatred ?[...] If there's one band I hate, is Europe. Like everybody, or almost, i played air guitar on the final countdown (rock the night too), playing like John Norum... But here it is, I hate Europe. HATE ! The hunks, poodles hairs, posing to the Coverdale, and the top of the flop, the band which pass in Michel Drucker (famous tv show in France) in 1986 or 1987 to play in playback. What a shame ! And over the years, it did not help. In 1991, when I'm waiting the band at Angus behind Intercontinental Hotel, Europe go out and when seeing some fans there, the bulge their chest, raise their heads, acting like rockstars. No luck, some french and germans "hards" presents are only waiting for the Young brothers and don't give a shit about those swedish boys who are boasting... They are shameless whistle to their surprise. I hate Europe and good news i'm not the only one. Since their return, I've seen the band live around 10 times with impeccable shows - and loved all their albums - with a constant and uncommon quality for a band on the back. Few bands are capable of such a feat. It has come to the point that, if I don't like my bank neither my firm, I like Europe. I LOVE EUROPE ! We can be so dumb when we're young..." Ok... the end is pretty good but i think this extract stay really mean, and Europe don't deserve it ! Because yes they acted like rockstars cause they were and are rockstars, every rock band had those hairs, besides, they were "obliged" to do those playbacks too and they were not the only one. The journalist says in the editorial at the beggining that he like AC/DC, Metallica etc... they also did playback ! But the 3 pages interview is really good, with good questions too. But they forgot to mention Mic in the formation of the band... Sorry for my bad english in translation... Hope it will get understand ! Thanks for sharing, lulu. That was very interesting to read. I understand and partly share your indignation for the mean attitude of the author. However I think that it's a good thing to recall, occasionally, how it really was back then, just to put everything in the right perspective. Because most of the things that are said in the article are true. I'm not sure if there is another band that has attracted so much personal hate as Europe, without doing that much to deserve it. Europe wasn't the only hair metal band, after all, but they became the target of the blame of the "true" metalheads. Why Bon jovi, Def Leppard or Skid row weren't attacked with the same violence is beyond my comprehension...It was really like if Europe had personally offended some people...The irony is that many haters that at the beginning of the nineties accused the band of being too commercial, too cheesy and so on, today complain that europe has changed too much their style  Reading this article also explains very well how hard it was the re-establishment of the band in the music business, how important was avoiding compromises and how inevitable was also taking unpopular decisions. Today we all take the relative success of the second stage for granted but, given the premises, that was all but forgone. |
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Post by Eva Tomorrow on Mar 30, 2015 17:25:35 GMT 2
One chronicle of WOK I particularly like ...  www.nationalrockreview.com/album-reviews/war-of-kings-by-europe" ... The polish on this album is smooth. Tempest still sounds good on the microphone for the LP and gives an almost sultry delivery in some of his lyrics for this go around. Norum and Leven both are great musicians and it shows on this record by their level of craftsmanship and the seemingly ease for which they play together. Michaeli is not a one or two song member. He allows a fullness of sound on this album that gives it that slow simmer of melodic rock you right in the ears that would be missing otherwise ..." " ... “Nothin’ To Ya” is a great example of how Ian hasn’t lost a single beat of the skins and still manages to keep the other guys on track, even with their experience ... "
" ... It’s a good, hard working, rock you in the beginning, middle, and end kind of album. War of Kings is a good guitar solo and drums album, perfect to get your foot moving as you relax after a hard day or while you’re working on the car in the garage over the weekend. Give it a listen if you’re a fan and even if you’re not really. It will assure you that you can get mellow with age but still be a rock star while it happens ... " lulu, I think that the journalist has a very aggressive style, but what he wants share and tells at the the end is that EUROPE is a great band and that many people have a bad prejudice for this band, people who stay in the past. Thanks for sharing, I find it interesting because I particularly like using sarcasm, maybe he takes it to the extreme, it is true that when I started reading I've pissed off a little, but is a different "review"  |
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Post by Eva Tomorrow on Mar 30, 2015 17:39:57 GMT 2
I love it ... great review.  ampsandgreenscreens.com/2015/03/17/europe-war-of-kings/RATE 9.5 / 10
" ... EUROPE is one of the most loved and mocked bands to come out of the 80’s. The album that put them on the charts, The Final Countdown, makes me cringe these days. They quietly went away in 1991 after the abysmal failure of that year’s Prisoners In Paradise, and not much was heard of them for many years – except, of course, at EVERY SINGLE GODDAMNED SPORTING EVENT. The band is back, though, and they’ve revamped their sound over the last 10 years to the point where you wouldn’t recognize them from the days of Joey Tempest’s ridiculous hair and bad videos. So, yeah, if your favorite EUROPE song is “The Final Countdown”, and you can only name two or three of their albums, you may want to stop reading now.
War of Kings (out now,Hell & Back Recordings/UDR Music), the band’s fifth release since reforming in the middle of the 2000’s is here, and there’s no hairspray on this one. This is a dark and brooding EUROPE that continues the progression to a much more mature and accessible sound that they’ve been working on for a decade. War Of Kings is heavily influenced by the bluesy classic rock of the 1970’s, and it sounds great on the band. There are no mailed in performances on this disc – every member contributes to the album in a big way, whether it be Ian Haugland’s inventive drumming, John Levén making every bass line anything but background noise, or Mic Michaeli’s fat and heavy sounding organ on every song. John Norum remains one of the great rock guitarists of the last 30 years, and Joey Tempest has definitely adapted well to the darker and more controlled vocals of the new EUROPE.
Some of my favorite songs are the title track “War Of Kings”, the rocker “Hole In My Pocket”, “Praise You” (which could have come from a DEEP PURPLE session in the early 70’s), and the intense “Children Of The Mind”. The entire album is great – there’s no filler here.
I was a huge fan of EUROPE’s first two albums before they hit it big, and one of my guilty pleasures is a love for 1988’s Out of This World. That said, the last decade of EUROPE’S catalog has been a high point for them, and War Of Kings is one of their best. Pick it up today. Now ... "
STANDOUT TRACKS: ALL OF THEM
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Post by Eva Tomorrow on Mar 31, 2015 17:04:00 GMT 2
" ... Any band over 30 years old and into double figures with their album releases can be forgiven for sounding like they are going through the motions at times but with “War of Kings” Europe still sound like a band with something to prove; of course, by this point in their career they haven’t but it warms the heart to know that they still care enough to put this much effort into crafting an album that, given a little bit of time to bed in amongst the established back catalogue (and that song), could be considered as possibly their finest work to date ..." www.thisisnotascene.com/2015/europe-war-of-kings/
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Post by Eva Tomorrow on Mar 31, 2015 17:39:15 GMT 2
" ... Another highlight of War of Kings is vocalist Joey Tempest’s voice. It shines like a million diamonds on every track, reincarnating the likes of Hughes, Coverdale and Dio ..."
bravewords.com/reviews/europe-war-of-kings
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Post by wardy on Apr 11, 2015 4:46:25 GMT 2
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Post by Eva Tomorrow on May 19, 2015 16:55:53 GMT 2
WONDERFUL Review in Spanish  Deep reflection about the band 
fallenangelofrock.superforo.net/t29751-europe-war-of-kings-95-100
" ... EUROPE have found EUROPE after a search that has left us, after the discovery process, a collection of extraordinary albums. We have witnessed an interesting process of searching for the identity of a band with success, universal popularity (although limited in the knowledge of it), and has had the opportunity, the unique opportunity to force their limits and be in their real personality, their natural artistic interests, and discover that what were is not what they are, that we thought they were in the past the only way to go, and what they are actually is more brilliant, amazing, courageous and beautiful than we ever imagined, something they probably only suspected or sensed.
As I said, the road has not been in vain, for we have been able to witness this creative process that has brought us wonderful and exciting moments marked in four excellent works that, I believe, they will be in time and whose future explorers will enjoy within a few years. Of the current aspects the most blatant classicism, at the end with War of Kings have reached the wisest, elegant and personal balance can currently offer the Swedish band, with all its members at a time, and this is what is most attractive I think, absolute, total and indisputable inspiration ... "
" .. Joey Tempest, ... his voice a little broken and wisdom, sings like never without losing his recognizable features. John Norum particularly shines on this album: anthological solos are all with outstanding entries, full of melodies ... " RATE: 95/100
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Post by Eva Tomorrow on Jul 15, 2015 23:14:59 GMT 2
After take a quick look to this thread I think this review is new. It is really fantastic. SOURCE: HARDROCKHEAVEN hardrockhaven.net/online/2015/04/europe-war-of-kings-cd-review/"... Overall this is a very satisfying, impressive album by a legendary band. No, this doesn’t sound like the albums that they recorded in the eighties that made them international superstars, but it’s not supposed to. It sounds more like many of their other strong albums where they wear their influences on their sleeves and yet remain contemporary. This album is essential for any long-time Europe fans but also fans of good, classic hard rock. For people who pine for the days when the biggest rockers of the day went by the names of Whitesnake, Sabbath, UFO, Zeppelin, Rainbow, Thin Lizzy and the like then you will like this release. To dispute those who say, “Bands just don’t make good rock music like they used to”… well, some bands do. And this album is proof ..."
"... So what does the band sound like after so many years and albums? Very good indeed! This is a band that still cares about their music and they have crafted an album proving that they are veteran rockers who still play with the energy and hunger of a young band just starting out. Joey Tempest’s vocals are as strong as ever, sometimes sounding a bit like Ronnie James Dio in his delivery ..."RATE 9.1 / 10  |
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Post by Eva Tomorrow on Jul 18, 2015 0:52:45 GMT 2
Again, another good review this time in spanish, RATE 8/10 " ...If there is someone stand out from the rest is certainly Mr. Norum, highlight in every riff, every solo. I'm not discovering penicillin but this man is very good and largely on what is based now Europe. In this case, is surprising to close his solo instrumental work called Vasastan, three minutes captive, with that magical and surprising touch that only have the cracks ..." www.metalsymphony.com/?p=25756 |
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, so i'm going to try to translate the passage talking about Europe it in english:
