Grand Design - V (Album Review)

Grand Design is: Pelle Saether, lead vocals, Dennis Vestman, guitar and backing vocals, Stefan Westerlund, bass guitar and backing vocals, Joakin Jonsson, drums and backing vocals and Dan Svanbom, lead guitar and backing vocals. The band hails from Vesteras Sweden and cites Def Leppard as their main influence. And without a doubt, the plagiarism is real. And it's not at all a bad thing. Saether's lead vocals are very different than Joe Elliott's. What's astonishing is how the band creates new musical landscapes that capture the essence of Leppard. There are a few other elements present as well. The smooth bouncy rhythms mirror 80's synth rock with extra helpings of Vestman and Svanbom's guitars. The tribute here might be more to the sound that Mutt Lange pioneered. The swath of lead and background vocals drench the ears with infectious vocal parts. Pelle's tenor adds another dimension to this as the band can write higher scales than Def Leppard could.

The lead single, "Right Away" is an arena rock powerhouse with an immense chorus that is instantly in your consciousness. The guitars thrash along like a 70's muscle car careening down a dark road. This is rock and roll! At this point you might want to fasten your seat belt. Svanbom's lead guitar work rivals your finest guitar slingers from the 1980's. "I Won't Cry Over U Tonight" begins with a tense keyboard intro that morphs into a rumbling rocker peppered with incredible guitar leads and vocal bursts. The lush, powerful harmonies are only slightly eclipsed by the guitars and that pounding, relentless beat provided by Joakin Jonsson. There is no logical reason for American radio to ignore this, but We know that they will. There is a combination of substance and reckless fun and indulgence that goes against everything that radio is right now.

"Strandead (Trapped In A Heartbreak Zone) is a gut-wrenching mid-tempo melody with larger helpings of choruses and relentless guitars and drums. Methinks Joe Elliott and company may want to pilfer one of these gems. It's as if Def Leppard was injected with youth and energy hormones. "Wat Are U Waiting For" (misspelling is on purpose) is another great mid-tempo rocker featuring another sumptuous chorus and a bed of synthesizers that give the guitars a nice launching point. "Shame On U" opens with a monster riff and powerhouse chorus which sets the stage for a fast and furious rocker with plenty of Leppard spots. "Take Me To Yer Heaven" crosses over into "Animal" territory in some of it's most obvious characteristics but easily finds an extraordinary original groove - certainly radio single ready!

"I Dunno Wat To Say" has a fire that was likely inspired by Pyromania as it sounds like a lost track. Saether's high note intro is something to behold. The band does a very formidable cover of Scandal's "The Warrior", glamming it up with a bevy of guitars and keyboard effects. Typically I wince when band's do covers that are already great songs. The concern is, what if they ruin it? They don't. In fact their take is a complete joy ride, including a slightly more adventurous guitar solo as compared to the original. Finally, there is "Guilty of Luv In The First Degree", with it's firecracker start and ginormous drowning in vocals soundscape. And so 11 songs later you still don't have a bad track.

You will come away from this album with a kind of joy that only happens after listening to feel good music that rocks while at the same time awakening some neurons that were once conditioned for this style of music. This isn't a rip off of Def Leppard as much as it is a celebration and rebirth of a great style. There is no downside to this record. This is good time rock and roll with a fine attention to detail. This might end up being your favorite melodic rock album of 2020. You'd get no argument from me.

Album rating 9.8