| Europe Last Look At Eden | earMusic |
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In my reviews for the two Europe albums released since the band reunited, I have really found a few sensational songs on each record that I would rate amongst my favourite from the band, but also some true filler. Both albums rated ok due to those songs and the fact that I found the band's move into a contemporary sound quite credible, vs. some other acts that have tried and failed. Some fans have not liked the new direction and I can definitely appreciate that – those probably won't like this album any more than the last two. The band keeps it close to the formula of the last two albums here, maintaining that contemporary down-tuned style and some ultra heavy riffs compared to what they used to deliver. But at the same time, they change this up just enough to make it stand on its own. Last Look At Eden features a more 70s driven retro sound, heavy on orchestration and big rootsy, blues grooves. While I still prefer several of the standout tracks on the last two albums; I do think this album is the best of the three and certainly the most consistent. I think the fillers here are minimal and the highlights plentiful. The only thing I would ask for is more emphasis on some big melodies and a few more instant hooks. There are a couple of instances where the song stops for a more melodic interlude (Gonna Get Ready the most obvious), where the melody itself seems almost at odds with the rest of the song and the slide in and out of the interlude doesn't seem natural. More attention here would make a perfect Europe album closer to reality. As far as this album goes – intense is the best description. It's so heavy in places and the guitar riffs rule this record. Simply a monster guitar sound! The Beast being a prime example of just how powerful! The title track Last Look At Eden is probably my favourite track here – a melodic chorus used to great effect. Gonna Get Ready rocks hard; Catch That Plane, Only Young Twice and Mojito Girl are all pure heavy groove; and the ballad New Love In Town is a really cool example of a contemporary rock ballad. I love the orchestration and intensity of No Stone Unturned (should be a single) and In My Time is a 70s Zep style ballad. U Devil U and Run With The Angels are perhaps the weakest point of the album for me.
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21/10/09: Rian - edguyrocks@yahoo.com
15/10/09: leo - paradisecitymusic@gmail.com
14/10/09: Mark - wysemark@googlemail.com
14/10/09: Scott - slb75@sbcglobal.net
13/10/09: Gary - gorgar@netzero.net
13/10/09: Mika W - kvd@mika.nu
13/10/09: Mark - Tantrum1213@yahoo.com
12/10/09: Tom Lindström - stormbringer@hotmail.com
12/10/09: GD - gd@btinternet.com
Rating: 39
I didn't hear anything that sounded good on this album....sounds not thought out, and the songs have no strength.
Rating: 79
Joey sounds great, band sounds great. Afew stupid lyrics here and there. Best cd they've done in years. Keep em coming!
Rating: 95
An extraordinary piece of work that sits nicely with the last two albums as there are elements of both here. Each song has its own special moments and I just hope Europe get the rewards they so richly deserve.
Rating: 100
All killer and no filler!
Excellent album. I've been a fan since 1986, have all the albums, and I believe this is EUROPE's best work. This wasn't apparent right away, and anyone giving this less than 90% should listen to it a couple more times.
After listening to the mostly uptempo "Secret Society" the past 3 years, my first impression of "Last look at Eden" was somewhat of a letdown. This album is a collection of mostly mid-tempo tracks with a stronger focus on melody than the first 2 comeback albums. Doesn't rock quite AS hard, but the songs are better. It almost seems like it should be the album that comes before Secret Society, not after. Nevertheless, it's a MASTERPIECE.
Heavy. Melodic. Groovy. Catchy. Interesting. Probably the strongest lyrics of any EUROPE album. The focus on melody should appeal to more of the old-school fans than "Start from the dark" and "Secret society". This is the album that should unite fans of all ages. It's amazing that these guys have been making music more than 25 years and they're just now hitting their peak! All without the use of any outside songwriters. I never knew the band had THIS MUCH potential, to make such a colossal album. Every song is a standout, so I won't even try to rate them. If I didn't know better, I would think this was a greatest hits album. It's that great.
Rating: 95
Great song writing, great music. John Norum's stamp is all over this. One of the most underated guitarist I.M.O. I was a passive fan in the 80's but am a bigger fan now. Anyone into classic rock along the lines of Thin Lizzy should waste no time in picking up any of the last three albums.
Rating: 100
This album is superb, very good lyrics mixed up with bluesy, heavy sound and a feeling on the tracks that I have been missing since the 80's. There is some "Out of this world" feeling in some tracks with downtempo sections in the middle on the songs, and there is heavy parts that would made ac/dc jealous, all this with a base on bluesy guitar riffs and very good tracks. Need to buy new speakers to car soon, this album rocks hard!
Rating: 75
Something very odd about this set of recordings,.........Oh yea, they tried very hard to sound like Kings X . Though there are a couple of songs in here that somewhat resemble Europe the Band.
Rating: 100
Europes best album since Wings of tomorrow !!
Hard rocking as they should be, remembering them in the early 80s as the premier swedish hard rock band, and i´m very pleased to se them rise to the top again. Your only young twice..
Rating: 65
As with the previous album, this again falls short of the mark, and is nowhere near as good as SFTD. This album is in a similar style to the previous release - SS, and is similar in that there are only about 2 very good tracks - which on this album are the title track and New Love In Town. Also - the album cover is horrendous! If you haven't got Start From The Dark, buy it now - Europes best album by far in my opinion.
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