Hydra Revitalizes The Toto Sound On "Point Break"

 

A new melodic rock band from Sweden. Again? Yes. Hydra's debut album Point Break is a melodic rock masterpiece from start to finish. The band is a cross between the breezy, earthy sound of bands like Toto, and the high energy of bands like Europe and Foreigner. The project is the brainchild of songwriter and multi-tasker Henrik Hedstrom who has been writing music in mass quantities for many years. Hedstrom was encouraged by drummer, producer Daniel Flores (Find Me, First Signal) to put his songs to good use. The result is a brilliant collection of sweet melodic rock.  Overall the band leans harder toward Toto than anything else, and the name of the band might be a tribute to Toto's Hydra era. "Stop The Madness" is a turbo charged proggy opener that is much different from the rest of the material. The lyrics are custom made for what the world has gone through over the past couple of years and might be a clarion call to leave humanity alone and get on with fixing the problems we face. 

"Bringing Down The Moon" follows down the path of light AOR beauty. The lush, smart production and the instantly radio ready groove is highly representative of what this album is all about. "No Lullaby" is a pristine 80's light rock masterpiece with more perfect harmonies and textures. Andi Kravljaca handles all vocals like a Joseph Williams in training. His voice is a perfect vehicle for these soaring songs. "Stay Awhile" has a bouncy fluent tempo along with crisp acoustic guitars and precise electric fills. The strength of these songs is remarkable. Most bands will do well to have one song of this caliber on an album. The guitar solos from Hedstrom are all packed with tasteful emotion. Flores adds the right dose of keyboard textures and you have a throwback sound that is fresh and enduring.

"Angela" continues the streak of captivating headphone bliss. "Forever My Love" is another light rock ballad with a great vocal blend that is both classy and memorable. "Never Be The Same" mixes a level of proggyness with the steady AOR template. There's just no shortage of great melody or vocal prowess on this album. "Doors of Love" settles into another tasty mellow groove. There is no filler on this record. It's either great or very great. "The Most Wanted", another terrific song, deep into this collection, continues the succession of nearly flawless songwriting. These songs are catchy, vibrant and well put together.

"Suspicious" is another lush soft rock song with a building chorus and powerhouse vocals. "Too Say Goodbye" is a beautiful duet between Kravljaca and female vocalist Elana Valente. Both relatively unknown quantities. But both amazing singers. I can't say enough about Hydra. Let's hope that this is more than just a project band. Any of these songs could be big hit singles on the radio. A near perfect album.

Album Rating 9.8