REVIEW : Wickman Road – After The Rain (2016)

Wickman Road is yet another melodic rock outfit that jumps out of Sweden and its goal is to create good and solid melodic rock music. Brothers, Henrik Åkesson and Robert Åkesson back in 2011 wrote several songs and their ambition was to strike up a band. Along with keyboardist Carl Ahlqvist, singer Eric Ahlqvist and drummer Simon Rydén, WICKMAN ROAD took flesh and blood and nowadays they present us their debut record which is entitled "After The Rain".

Wickman Road's music is based on the melodic rock/AOR sound of the late 80's and it includes beautiful melodies, clever and memorable choruses, a fresh and updated sound and crunchy guitars. After the first spin of "After The Rain", one thing is clear; this is a killer melodic rock release that will please every AOR freak out there!!

The first highlight comes with "Breaking Free". A 'punchy' melodic rock tune with attitude and a chorus line to sing-a-long. "I Believe In You" is an amazing ballad in an old-fashioned way while in "I Can't Wait Anymore" the band delivers another killer melodic rock gem. The key-driven "Couldn't Find The Way" and the fast-paced "Home" are two more great samples of Wickman Road's music.

Simple, melodic to the bone and with an 80's vibe, Wickman Road's music speaks right through the heart of every serious AOR fan out there and makes it loud and clear that this band has a bright future in this competitive scene. 

Rating : 8,5/10

Track Listing :
1. After the Rain, 2. Breaking Free, 3. I Believe in You, 4. I Can't Wait Anymore, 5. All Alone, 6. Couldn't Find the Way, 7. Home, 8. No Matter the Distance, 9. In a Minute, 10. Now When You're Gone, 11. Time