Search - Norway :: Arrival

THIS IS AOR HEAVEN, NORWAY ROCKS 2000!

Eric R. Vandell | Harpers Ferry, WV USA | 09/21/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Greetings fellow Americans, and welcome to the "Arrival" of
Norway. Available as an import only until now, Norway have given
their souls to bring real rock back in the new millennium. Like a
freight train off of the tracks, Norway ignores current musical trends
and gets down to some serious rocking on "Arrival."
Following the lead of their independent debut, "Night
Dreams," these guys deliver the goods with this 5 star melodic
rock masterpiece. Every song here is a gem, on a disc that features
slick production, soaring vocals, and blistering leads from start to
finish. Legends Journey, Survivor, Night Ranger, and fellow Jersey
rockers Bon Jovi would all be proud to see the AOR torch carried with
such fire. Vocalist Jim Pierson pours his heart into every number,
while guitarist Jim Santos lays down the thunder that would make Neil
Schon himself crack a smile. Add to that a great keyboard sound with
a solid rhythm section and you've got an equation that equals 100%
rock. Standout tracks include "One Night Alone,"
"Someday Someway," "Can't Live Without You," and
the most excellent "I Don't Wanna Love You." If you miss the
music that 80's legends were made of, place "Arrival" in
your cart pronto, and listen to Norway carry the AOR flag with pride.
Rock on Gentlemen!
"

Norway Arrives...

Fred Monster | Zwijndrecht, Holland | 06/17/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm having a hard time reviewing this album. Arrival, Norway's second is such a great album that I can hardly describe it. I deliberately waited a while reviewing it, because I wanted to know what this album would do after a few weeks of intensive playing. Sometimes you kill an album by doing so, but not this one! The opening track, Givin' It All, is the first sign that we're dealing with something special here. The production is good, the song is how I love 'em best. Melodic, catchy and an instant classic! The same can be said about One Night Alone.It's a midtempoed tune with great layers of keyboards and hooks that could catch a whale, to name but one cliché. Someday Someway is of the same class as Givin' It All. Glenn Pierson's crystal clear voice can handle the whole range between high and low, although he uses the higher regions a lot more than the lower parts. I love that. I've always been a fan of vocalists with high pitched voices. Sometimes Glenn makes me think of Klaus Meine without the accent. Funny thing is that with a little fantasy I Don't Wanna Love You, the next piece of sheer brilliance on Arrival could have been one of the better Scorpions tracks. The riff is huge and the song makes you feel so good, you tend to oversee the desperate message of the lyrics. The next song, Can't Live Without You, is a ballad. A real, old-fashioned, lighter-in-the-air-and-sing-your-nuts-off ballad. This is where I want to compliment Jim Santos on his lovely guitarwork. It's there all the time, but over the last few lines I've been too busy telling you what a great singer Glenn Pierson is. This band has it all! Sendin' A Prayer is very emotional song about Glenn's brother-in-law who passed away at a very young age. It's not a ballad, as you might expect, but a fabulous midtempo tune in which you can feel Glenn's desperation. Listen to the last few times he sings I'm Missing You. It gives me chills everytime I listen to it... When You Close Your Eyes has a more lighthearted theme. It's a beautiful lovesong and actually one of my favorites (if you can talk about favorites on an album with almost only winners on it). Cry Baby is the song why I used almost in my last sentence. Definitely not a bad song, but a little plain after all the quality of the last half hour. But with Find My Way Home everything's in fine shape again. A little louder than before Cry Baby (just listen to the final part of the song), but that's no problem for us rockers, eh? The comparison to the Scorpions returns on Hole In My Heart. Just listen to the You Know I've Had Enough part and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. The album ends in style. Heaven In Your Arms is another melodic gem and I already used every other superlative to describe the rest of the songs, so I'll keep it to that. From day one I received this masterpiece it's been spinning it's rounds in my CD-player every day, and I can assure you it will continue to do so for a long, long time!!"

AOR HEAVEN - NORWAY ROCKS 2000!

Eric R. Vandell | Harpers Ferry, WV USA | 07/17/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not sure how CD players work in Japan, and I mean no disservice to other reviewers, but if you think the production on "Arrival" lacks, you need to invest in Q-tips. Norway's first release was an indepedant titled "Night Dreams." It features excellent songs and musicianship, but does suffer from some under-production. "Arrival" on the other hand is a 5-star gem from start to finish, which features slick production, soaring vocals, blistering leads, and the type of AOR music legends like Journey, Survivor, and Loverboy were made of. Neil Schon himself would crack a smile were he to hear the thunder being laid down by Jim Santos on solo after solo on this melodic rock masterpiece. And Glenn Pierson sounds a bit more like Jim Jamison or Kevin Chalfant for that matter, than he ever did Eddie Money (Trust me, I have all of Eddie's discs, even "Where's The Party?"). Actually let's just say Norway are unique in their own right for producing such superb melodic rock in today's watered down musical landscape. If any of the afformentioned names ring a bell and sound good, quit reading this lame review and drop "Arrival" in your shopping cart. Rock On Norway!"