Europe - Wings Of Tomorrow (1984) WMA320

Europe's 1984 sophomore effort, "Wings of tomorrow" is one of the more underrated metal albums from the `80s and is considered the band's masterwork by many fans, including myself. It sold very well in Sweden and Japan, but it would be a couple more years before the band became well known to the rest of the world with their breakthrough song and album "The final countdown". This album showcases the band at the height of its heavy metal prowess before entering the pop metal world later on. The songs are definitely more suited for live performance than for Top 40 radio.

The album is solid from start to finish. There is great live energy, strong vocal performances by Joey Tempest and contains some of the most memorable shredding by John Norum. His guitar solos are nothing short of magnificent throughout this album, especially on "Wasted Time", "Lyin' Eyes", "Aphasia" and the title track. "Scream of anger" is another highlight. A fast and furious song that the band still plays live to this day. The ballads "Dreamer" and "Open your heart" are well done. It's a little known fact that "Open your heart" was the first Europe song to get airplay in the US, receiving limited exposure on some AOR stations. Four years later it was rerecorded for the "Out of this world" album (1988), but the second version didn't have quite the same magic as the original.

It's too bad "Wings of tomorrow" wasn't the album that first introduced Europe to the mainstream world. Had it been, I think the band would have had stronger rock credibility, and maybe could have built a stronger legacy. There's a saying: "You never get a second chance to make a first impression". Let's hope there will be an exception to that rule, as Europe have reemerged with 2004's "Start from the dark" which is a strong return to the band's heavy metal roots (with a more modern touch). I strongly recommend both albums to fans that like it HARD and HEAVY!

by scottydog

TRACKLIST:

01 - Stormwind.wma
02 - Scream Of Anger.wma
03 - Open Your Heart.wma
04 - Treated Bad Again.wma
05 - Aphasia.wma
06 - Wings Of Tomorrow.wma
07 - Wasted Time.wma
08 - Lyin' Eyes.wma
09 - Dreamer.wma
10 - Dance The Night Away.wma

WMA 320Kbps 44100Hz STEREO