PERFECT PLAN
“Brace For Impact”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

Perfect Plan are a melodic rock/AOR band from Sweden formed in 2014, releasing their debut album ‘All Rise’ in 2018, with sophomore album ‘Time For A Miracle’ a 2020 release. And what a release that was! One hour of staggering hard rock awe – bracing fans for the impact of the bands third album ‘Brace For Impact’…

…released in 2022, featuring eleven heavy hitting hard rock anthems! Yes readers, Perfect Plan are back with a perfect plan to take over the world – and that plan is ‘Brace For Impact’. The rising stars of the melodic rock style of music, have upped their game ten-fold with their latest release…cramming hard rock, melodic rock, and AOR into a stunning fifty four minute roller coaster ride. So strap yourselves in real tight and brace for impact, as Perfect Plan launch their new album in stunning fashion with the barnstorming ‘Surrender’. Full of heavy hitting riffs, ‘Surrender’ is a bombastic and energetic head turning opening salvo, setting a wonderful tone for what is to follow…’If Love Walks In’ is even more energetic than ‘Surrender’! The band, raising their game to new levels, rock hard with ‘If Love Walks In’ – with comparisons to the legendary Van Halen inevitable. Not just because of a similar title – in 1986 Van Halen released ‘Love Walks In’ on their ‘5150’ album, the bands first with vocalist Sammy Hagar – but for the incredible infectious nature and stadium rock aura. Perfect Plan are quickly becoming one of Sweden’s great rock exports.

With a heavier feel than the opening double, ‘Can’t Let You Win’ also has more oomph, maintaining the high energy level, and spreading a feel good nature across the entire planet. Maybe even a little of the smile inducing party rock flavour too! Thundering into sight is the bold and brash swagger of ‘Gotta Slow Me Down’ – a bluesy Southern rock type of thunder rising high into the air. Think Aerosmith at their swaggering best, and you may just get some idea of the sound Perfect Plan are aiming for here. And with no let up in both energy and oomph, the band rock and roll on with the AOR laden ‘Stop The Bleed’, and a majestic melodic march not heard on the album so far. Firmly rooted in the hard rock style of music, the Swedish sensations are proudly enforcing their burgeoning reputation for delivering heavy hitting and energy driven hard rock.

That is until a ballad enters the fray – ‘My Angel’ the first opportunity on the new album to raise lighters high in the air and sway from side to side. The much mellower nature still has power behind it, the band unrelenting in their quest to remain energetic from start to finish. And despite suggesting the blues, ‘Devil’s Got The Blues’ goes nowhere near the blues, so I guess the devil’s just feeling low! But what ‘Devil’s Got The Blues’ does have – is the oomph of one of Sweden’s biggest rock bands…Europe. During the eighties Europe rocked the world of hard rock with the emphatic ‘The Final Countdown’ – and Perfect Plan have recreated that electrifying atmosphere with ‘Devil’s Got The Blues’. This is stunning stuff, and there’s still four songs to go! The first of which is the high tempo party anthem ‘Bring Me A Doctor’. Faster, heavier, and much more energetic than everything that has gone before, ‘Bring Me A Doctor’ may just attract a few metal heads into the Perfect Plan universe.

Remaining at the heavier end of the rock genre, the band hammer the senses with ‘Still Undefeated’ – a pummelling parade of jack hammer riffs threatening to open a great big fucking hole in the ground and suck everyone in! The attraction of ‘Brace For Impact’ is immense, and if there’s one hard rock album you listen to this year, just make sure it’s this one! And now it’s time for lighters to make a re-appearance – ‘Emelie’ a power ballad right off the top shelf with passion and emotion levels incredibly high. Perfect Plan end their new album with a second Van Halen-esque rocker – ‘Walk Through Fire’ a solid slab of melodic rock come AOR. The energy of ‘Brace For Impact’ from start to finish has been incredible, the band going from strength to strength with every album under their belts. Two years ago ‘Time For A Miracle’ was a very good album, this year ‘Brace For Impact’ is a great album – I can’t wait to hear the next one…I’m sure it’s gonna be amazing.

Overall, a hard rocking hard rock album, immensely infectious, charismatically catchy, and a perfect listening pleasure.

TRACKLIST

Surrender
If Love Walks In
Can’t Let You Win
Gotta Slow Me Down
Stop the Bleed
My Angel
Devil’s Got The Blues
Bring Me A Doctor
Still Undefeated
Emelie
Walk Through Fire

https://www.perfectplan.se/
https://www.facebook.com/perfectplansweden

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