VELVET THUNDER

Dreams For Sale is the debut release from Sweden’s InterCore and it is a most enjoyable, easy listening and delightful melodic rock album. The band was put together in 2014 by the duo of Raimo Rommedahl, formerly of Cousin Bill and an exceptionally talented guitarist, songwriter and producer and singer and guitarist Jesper Mad, previously with Fraise. They spent the first couple of years putting together a studio which they opened in 2016 and then set about putting some songs together for which they brought in session drummer Thomas Perrson and then bassist Robert Fallqvist filled the final position in the team.

There obviously was a plan of campaign put together by InterCore as they then spent the next four years writing, recording and putting the album together so they have most definitely taken a long term approach to their music making. Rommedahl has written most of the music with Jesper Mad supplying the lyrics and the time they have spent on the album has allowed the band to hone the songs to perfection thus allowing them to put out a fully formed and very well developed debut disc.

This is not a band that has spent 6-months in a garage before releasing a rough and ready rock album but a talented collection of seasoned musicians who know exactly what they are doing and they are absolutely note perfect. The material is pretty much standard Swedish melodic rock but the band has also incorporated an element of British grit or an harder edge if you will so that you get a real sense of the slickness and melody of Mr. Mister and Toto but there is also a great deal of Thin Lizzy at their heaviest and just a hint of Quo boogie too.

The songs, of course, are very melodic with some excellent bass and drum work over which Jesper Mad lays down his strident and insistent vocals which please and are very much in tune with the music being performed and together they make a great team. What truly does stand out though is the exception guitar work of Rommedahl and Mad as they lay down some beautifully mazy guitar runs and killer solos and they definitely have a sound of the amazing Mike Slamer of City Boy and Streets fame. Indeed, some of their work moves the album almost into metal territory and it is nice to hear a melodic album with real balls.

Dreams For Sale is a most mature debut release from a team of musicians who most definitely fall into the veteran category and they most certainly can play making this a truly rocking album that is good fun too.