LANDFALL
“Elevate”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

Landfall are a hard rock band from Brazil, releasing their debut album ‘The Turning Point’ in 2020, and sophomore album ‘Elevate’ in 2022.

The hard rocking hard rockers from Curitiba are back – and with an almighty bang! Just two years after the bands incredible debut, Landfall return to hit, punch and kick harder than ever, ‘Elevate’ an eleven song strong stunner! Melodic hard rock has never sounded so good – ‘Never Surrender’ launching the album in invigorating fashion, Landfall the proverbial “exception to the rule”! For Brazil is widely recognised for its reputation of producing extreme thrash metal music! But in the mighty shape of Landfall, we have a hard rock band bucking that trend. ‘Never Surrender’ a fast paced and energetic gallop to get behind and head nod, feet tap, raise fists in the air, or do whatever it is you do to salute a corker of a song! With such an electrifying opening – where do you go from here? Upwards is where – the band pulsating with energy and oomph as ‘Two Strangers’ hits even harder than ‘Never Surrender’. Blending the joyful feel of AOR into the bands hard rocking roots, Landfall have delivered a spectacular opening double salvo.

What a breathless duo the first two songs were – the band not taking their finger of the pulse, marching ahead with ‘Waterfall’ displaying a major soft rock feel, yet losing none of the AOR influence of the previous song! Simply incredible – and as regular readers already know, I am a metalhead at heart, yet also have an affection for rock – Landfall appealing hugely to my rockier side. The band striding on with ‘Rescue Me’, leaning towards ballad country as it smoothly glides on by. Remaining just a tad too heavy to be a full blown ballad, ‘Rescue Me’ is a cracking mix of AOR and soft rock – the band showing a much softer side to their sound. Keeping in the same vein as ‘Rescue Me’, ‘Heroes Are Forever’ falls further into balladry, creating a sway from side to side feel, encouraging listeners to raise lighters high in the air. Bloody great stuff from the Brazilian rockers.

And at the halfway point of the album, the infectious level has been incredibly high, and shows no sign of dipping either – especially as the title song ‘Elevate’ actually elevates the level to new heights! The band delivering instantly likeable hard rock that’ll live long in the memories of rockers – and metalheads – all around the world. Landfall’s debut album was an incredible start to the bands career, their sophomore album raising the bar and planting them firmly in front of a worldwide audience. And looking outta the window while writing this review at a layer of snow on the ground and shivering to minus degree temperatures – the band brighten a dismal day with ‘Feels Like Summer’. And boy do I wish it did! ‘Feels Like Summer’ is a driving anthem, a song to play loud while cruising the countryside on a hot summers day. I simply can’t wait for summer to come and get out there – with ‘Feels Like Summer’ blasting outta my car stereo. And with an incredibly tension fuelled intro, ‘H.O.P.E.’ builds to a thundering hard rocking romp – the band unrelenting in their energy driven rock style.

The attractiveness of Landfall’s debut ‘The Turning Point’ turned me on to the bands music, and I have been a fan ever since. So it surely doesn’t come as a surprise that I’m loving ‘Elevate’ (the album), the band storming on with the heavy hitting ‘Shadows Of Love’. Featuring a pace akin to the (albums) incredible opening double, ‘Shadows Of Love’ is a hard hitting hard rock stampede that’s guaranteed to brighten anyone’s day! It’s definitely brightened mine – even more so, because ‘Feels Like Summer’ was first to brighten my day! And with two songs still to come, I have an insanely wide smile on my face – a smile that ain’t gonna disappear anytime soon! The band falling fully into ballad country with ‘The Wind’, and a glorious soft warmth that will once again have listeners swaying and holding lighters high in the air. And to be honest, on reflection, methinks the ballads on offer here will stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Bon Jovi, Journey and White Lion. White Lion! Remember them? Cracking rock band from America, prominent during the eighties, fronted by Danish singer/guitarist Mike Tramp – and he’s still performing today! Anyway, back to Landfall, and my review of ‘Elevate’ (the album), which comes to an end with an unbroken streak of melodious magnetism with the pulsating ‘Chance To Destiny’ – an up tempo and punchy slab of infectious hard rock.

Overall, a hard rocking hard rock album of immense infectiousness and melodious intent – ‘Elevate’ is a corker.

TRACKLIST

Never Surrender
Two Strangers
Waterfall
Rescue Me
Heroes Are Forever
Elevate
Feels Like Summer
H.O.P.E.
Shadows Of Love
The Wind
Chance To Destiny

https://www.facebook.com/landfallofficial

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