Line Up: Jeff Scott Soto - Vocals; Marcel Jacob - Guitars, Bass; Fredrik Åkesson - Guitars; Jamie Borger - Drums, Percussion

Almost three and a half years have gone since the release of Talisman’s last album “Cats And Dogs”, which I slightly remember as being a rather mediocre album. Since its release all four band members have been pursuing other projects. Jeff Scott Soto first showed up as the lead vocalist of the short-lived Soul SirkUS, but is now fronting Journey, while Steve Augeri is still recovering from some throat illness. Both Marcel Jacob and Jamie Borger are now part of Last Autumn’s Dream, while Fredrik Åkesson (known as the heaviest element in Talisman) is now a fully-fledged band member of Arch Enemy.

With all four being so busy outside of Talisman, it might be called a wonder we can now listen to a brand-new Talisman album, the seventh in the row. As always, the music comes from Marcel Jacob, while the lyrics are from the hands of Jeff Scott Soto.

The break of more than three years has certainly worked in favour of the overall result. With wonderful melodic hard rock tracks such as “Rhyme Or Reason” (featuring an intro that gives me the shivers) and “On My Way” and softer songs such as “The 1 I’m Living 4”, “Forevermore” and “Back 2 The Feeling”.

Talisman is back where they belong: on top of my list, even though some of the tracks sound a bit more contemporary than we are used to. Just a pity the fans can’t go out to see the band play live, but hey … aren’t we all happy to see that one of our favourite singers is now fronting one of our favourite bands?