Back in 2014 I reviewed the debut opus from State Of Salazar with the title "All The Way". A record that impressed me a lot. "Heavenly influenced melodies, hooks and choruses to die for, a feel-good vibe all over the album and plenty of talent makes "All The Way" the AOR album of 2014, period..". That's what I wrote back then. Nowadays the band returns with a brand new album which is entitled "Superhero" through Frontiers Music s.r.l.
For those who aren't familiar with State Of Salazar's music let me tell ya that this band combines perfectly the sound of bands such as TOTO, Survivor, Bill Conti and Vince DiCola with the 'new' sound of bands like Perfect Plan, One Desire and Creye and the result is delicious!!
The opening tune of "If You Wait For Me" sounds like the perfect appetizer of what's to follow next. Melodic as it gets, powerful AOR in its highest order and with this Survivor-esque vibe in it "If You Wait For Me" sounds perfect!! "My Heart Is At War", the commercial "Hold On Tonight" and the TOTO-ish "Masquerade" are all three strong samples of State Of Salazar's music. All three are pure candy in my ears. The guitars are edgier that in the debut, the vocals are powerful and the mid-80's vibe haunting all three tunes. Excellent AOR stuff.
The melodic rock/AOR parade continues with songs like "She's A Loaded Gun" and "Joanne" (every serious AOR band must include a female name in its track list, don't you think?). Another killer track is without any doubt the edgier "To The Wire". I just love everything in this amazing tune. The big groove, the guitars and the 'rougher' vocals all here sounds big and classic! The album closes amazingly with the harder hitting "Superhero". A song that is included among the best out of the new opus and among my personal favorites here.
State Of Salazar nailed it with "Superhero", no doubt bout that. This album is pure melodic rock/AOR heaven. If you are a fan of bands such as TOTO, Survivor, Journey or Creye, Perfect Plan and Work Of Art, then look no further! Another highlight for 2018!
Rating : 9,4/10
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