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Memoria Avenue: Memoria Avenue
Memoria Avenue - 2021 Self-titled Debut Album Art

Memoria Avenue: Memoria Avenue

Melodic Hard Rock/AOR
5.0/5.0

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Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 05.11.2021 | Released: 05.11.2021

While their history is somewhat sketchy, we know the following. Arriving from Norway, Memoria Avenue is the creation of guitarist Tor Talle (Northern Light) and vocalist Jan Le'Brandt. Both fellows have been in the music business for sometime. Over the years, Talle has written songs for or recorded with Steve Overland, Tony Mills, and Joe Lyn Turner, among others. Le'Brandt has recorded several of his own solo albums in his native country. That's where the label press release ends.

Memoria Avenue - Click For Larger Image

Memoria Avenue

Digging a little deeper into the abyss of the Internet you will discover that Memoria Avenue had a single, Remember, on a 2009 compilation album from Melodic Rock Records, Vol. 5 Writing On The Wall. This little historical tidbit suggests that the band has been toiling away at their craft for a lengthy period. Now, twelve years later, Memoria Avenue finally drops their debut album, the self-titled Memoria Avenue.

Frankly, I liked everything about Memoria Avenue and this album. The songs are a near perfect mixture of sharp, yet harmonious, guitar lines, stinging solos, vocal harmony, keyboard infusions, and a brisk rhythm section for plenty of rock groove. Moreover, all these things are wrapped up in the ambitious and necessary ingredients of song melody and harmony accented by catchy refrains. Of all these things, I might point to either the guitar work or vocal arrangements as highlights, and they are. But throughout the album,the bass line came through in a big way. If all this work took 12 years to accomplish, then the work they did and the wait was worth it.

Before mentioning the songs, a confession is necessary. I decided to review this album on the spur of the moment yesterday. Essentially, I listened to the entire album while doing other things like our business accounting. My concentration upon each song was not as acute as normal. In this context, Memoria Avenue sounded like AOR melodic rock Muzak, but in the very best way. There was flow and continuity to the songs which made the album musically coherent (largely because of the fine characteristics mentioned above. But I did take a few notes, and here are some highlights.

For some guitar-strong rockers there's Someday, High As A Kite, and something it bit faster with Stuck. Some rising AOR anthems arrive with Can't Blame It On The Rain and Waiting Forever. The latter has is a fine example of the bass lines mentioned earlier. Run With Me finds the synth presence more present, but mostly has to keep with the strong guitar line, especially at the start.

All things considered, Memoria Avenue's first long-player is a strong debut, packed well-crafted, superbly executed, AOR melodic hard rock. Get it. You won't be disappointed.




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The Take Away

All things considered, Memoria Avenue's first long-player is a strong debut, packed with well-crafted, superbly executed, AOR melodic hard rock. Get it. You won't be disappointed.

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