Phenomena - Awakening (2012)

This time a supergroup from UK, already for formed from earlier '80 by a metal record producer Tom Galley. Each time Tom gathered high profile musicians from UK and nearby Europe to performed his composition. Phenomena produced several album in span of  '80 to '90 and the idea preserved until today. So here the latest offer from this supergroup. Despite its artistic cover album looks like a power metal tune but Awakening is simple an AOR album full of melodious traditional hard rock.

The first tracks defined the mood with its blistering anthemic drum intro. Tom Galley choose Lee Small, singer from SHY to performed this track called Smash It Up. Let's Smash It Up is the seller main chorus here, a great AOR tune to open the album. Soon we are into the album, catchy song recommended here are Gotta Move, Shake, and Fighter, these are thick in blues mood. Then there anomaly as Stand Up For Love is a lovely gospel chorus rock. On first listening the whole album somehow come into a pattern of great intro but the song writing sometimes didn't catch up. Going Away is the example here, the song is just somehow too generic. It is Ralf Scheepers from Primal Fear that performed this track. How Long is a great tune combining thick blues vocal.

All musician here performed well, the solo guitars are best in raising the mood and drumming also. Although with its many differ background, the album can be done in more diverse style rather than just blues rock. In other thought this is a best outlet to see how your favorite musician from other band performing this kind of music. But, Awakening is an album best to listen without higher expectation. It's simply a work of several artist with intention to give the best shoot in AOR atmosphere.

Metal Harem class: ******* 7 stars out of 10

Tom Galley's Phenomena - Awakening 2012
buy it here

01. Smash It Up (Lee Small on Vocals, Mat Sinner on Bass, Magnus Karlsson on Lead Guitars)
02. Reality (Toby Hitchcock on Vocals and Mike Slamer on Lead Guitars)
03. Homeland (Rob Moratti on Vocals and Martin Kronlund on all Guitars)
04. Going Away (James Christian Vocals and Tommy Denander Martin Kronlund on Guitars)
05. Gotta Move (Ralf Scheepers on Vocals and Christian Wolff & Tommy Denander on Guitars)
06. How Long (Lee Small on Vocals and Martin Kronlund on Guitars)
07. Shake (Mike DiMeo on Vocal and Martin Kronlund on Guitars)
08. Fighter (Terry Brock on Vocals and Steve Newman on Guitars)
09. Dancing Days (Niklas Swedentorp on Lead Vocals with all Coldspell members)
10. If You Believe (Chris Antblad with Gothenburg Choir)


Martin Kronlund: Guitars, and Bass
Tom Harlan: Guitars & Keyboards
Imre Daun: Drums.
Henrik Thomsen: bass
Per Aronson-Andersson: Hammond, keyboards
JAVA Gospel on "Stand up for love"

Additional Musicians:
Carl Anthony Wright - Guitars
Christian Wolff - Guitars
Tommy Denander - Guitars
Mike Slamer Guitars
Magnus Karlsson - Guitars
Mat Sinner - Bass
All COLDSPELL members
Steve Newman - Guitars and backing vocals
Fredrik Bergh - Keyboards on "Smash It Up" And "Gotta Move"

Phenomena Album Cover design with fantasy art theme