a l b u m r e v i e w s


STREET LEGAL
THUNDERDOME
Frontiers/Now & Then FRCD 049
Produced by: Bjorn Boge
Released: OUT NOW / Website
Relatives: Whitesnake, Blue Murder, Rainbow
GENRE: Hard Rock
OVERALL: 91%

  1. Thunderdome
  2. Chasing The Rainbow
  3. Powertool
  4. Calling For You
  5. Wrong Side Of Town
  6. Red Light District
  7. Stranger In The Night
  8. Will I Ever Love Again
  9. Shadow Dance
  10. In The Mood
  11. Shine On
  12. Folly Town (Frontiers Pressing)
  13. Red Light District (MPEG Video - Frontiers Pressing)

Full credit to two parties for this album. Firstly to the guys of Street Legal for creating such a great bluesy hard rock album.
Secondly to Frontiers for picking up the rights to this so a wider audience is able to hear it.
If you like it heavy, if you like it bluesy, if you like it melodic, then look no further.
Street Legal are from Norway and if David Coverdale was Norwegian then he would be in this band. As he isn't, it's up to vocalist (and Bass player) Bjørn Boge to more than adequately take his place.
Boge was a member of the Norwegian AOR band DaVinci in the late 80s and together with drummer Bjørn Olav Lauvdal formed this band. Joining the guys for Thunderdome is Ken Ingwersen, guitar player and experienced producer, he produced the latest TNT album and Ronnie Le Tekro's solo album, plus more.
The band get their influences from their favorite bands Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, UFO/MSG, Ozzy and Van Halen.
Thunderdome & Chasing The Rainbow open the album in such impressive melodic metal style it is hard to see how things could get better.
Powertool answers that with a more melodic edge to the guitar and heavy rhythm onslaught of the opening two tracks.
Then just as you think it couldn't get better Wrong Side Of Town cranks up one of the best hard melodic anthems of this or any year.
A classic straight up poppy hard rocker with a monster hook.
It's true to say that there is a little of all their influences in this album.
Boge is a classic Coverdale style hard rock singer, with big vocals and big power. Just check out the feel, emotion and power of Will I Ever Love Again.
The songs on this album all have their own individual edge, while retaining a monster rhythm and good raw hard rock vibe.
I will let you discover the rest of the tracks by yourselves, but fair to say if you like Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Rainbow, Deep Purple or any of those great solid blues based hard rocking bands then Street Legal will be a much loved addition to any collection.
There are two releases of this album - the Norwegian domestic release and the Frontiers Records version which adds the bonus track Folly Town and a pretty cool MPEG video for a live performance of Red Light District.
BOTTOM LINE: One of the most consistent hard rock albums of the past 18 months, with plenty on offer for fans of classic Whitesnake influenced blues metal. An album by a European artist that should cross many international borders and style boundaries alike.
PRODUCTION: 90% SONGS: 91% VIBE: 92%ATTITUDE: 93%
ESSENTIAL FOR: Blues metal/hard rock fans and fans of Whitesnake/Blue Murder.

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