Release Date: July, 2004 Catalogue No: ESM103 / Bar Code: 5031281 00103 0
Band members: Anders Rydholm – Guitars / Bass / Keyboards
Peter Sundell – Lead & Backing Vocals
Per Svensson – Lead & Backing Vocals
Christian Sundell – Drums
Ola af Trampe - Guitars
Ola Karlsson – Lyrics
Produced by Anders Rydholm
Mixed by Anders Rydholm and Tommy Hansen
Discography to date: “The Book of How to Make it” ESM 063 / “In the Beginning” (ESM 068) / “View From the top” (ESM 076)
Track Listing: Devils’ Advocate / The Best is yet to come / Gone for good / Heaven or Hell / New beginning / 1982 / Pull you down / Loves lies buried / Back to yesterday / And this is why / When you were mine / On time
Grand Illusion have written the “Book of how to make it” and now have a well-earned “View from the Top”, they have also shown us their beginnings as the band “Promotion”, so where can they go to now? The title of the new album “Ordinary Just Won’t Do” shows the commitment the band have to their music, this next recording just had to be that extra bit special.
The full recruitment of young guitarist Ola af Trampe is a brilliant move and his aggressive yet exquisite guitar style can clearly be heard right through the album. The whole Grand Illusion image has been given a vibrant charge of energy that should see the band rise to great heights. Secondly, the move in the mixing department to utilise the talents of Tommy Hansen (TNT, Pretty Maids, Helloween) has seen the sound improve dramatically. This is an album that ROCKS!
The songs are what you would expect from Grand Illusion, the music writing is from Anders Rydholm, with most lyrics supplied by the usual Rydholm and Karlsson, but there are contributions from fellow Escape artists Chris Ousey (Heartland), Steve Newman (Newman) and Steve Overland (FM). The result clearly shows and the selection of songs is so wide and diverse that each and every song surpasses anything previously recorded by the band. Why not listen to “Devil’s Advocate” for an insight into the new Grand Illusion sound, a song that will destroy your speakers if turned up to full volume. The melody is still right in your face as songs like “Gone for Good” and “New Beginning” come straight at you, those unique vocal talents of Sundell and Svensson shining through. “Ordinary” features some beautiful up-tempo ballads with great sing along choruses, “Heaven or Hell” and “Pull you down” being two such examples. The layered harmonies and musicianship are just so perfect, that it is hard to believe that the band can surpass this work. However, “The Best is yet to come” could be a song to suggest that this could happen, this song is such a belter, it rips a long at a great pace and would be very at home on an FM album. The sheer melody of “On Time” is beautiful to hear, with some wonderful guitar work from Trampe, whilst the keyboards and vocals on the song “When you were mine” are so powerful that it will linger in your mind forever. The atmospheric “This is why” is another great power ballad, with some fine piano playing and aggressive guitar chords. The interesting and fast paced “Loves lies buried features some great Hammond B3 touches from Tommy Hansen.
Grand Illusion have a following that grows stronger each day that passes and this album will please fans old and new. “Ordinary Just won’t do” is a very exciting new album and it will pave the way for the band to head for the heights they richly deserve.