Jorn Lande & Trond Holter - DRACULA Swing of Death

Norwegian Jorn Lande does it again, this time channeling Meatloaf of all people...I have gone on record about Jorn Lande's singing; he's simply one of the best rock/metal vocalists in the world at this point. I haven't heard such a powerful voice since Dio, except maybe Russell Allen. Consequently, he turns out some pretty good product on a consistent basis, including his latest collaboration with fellow Norwegian, guitarist Trond Holter (AKA "Teeny" of glam metal band Wig Wam), DRACULA Swing of Death.

Billed as a new rock opera, DRACULA manages to up its game by going old school. Whereas bands like Vanden Plas have also released a [very good] vampire-themed rock opera, their modern take may one day lose its luster as the genre's fanbase fluctuates. But Jorn and company - including the wonderful voice of Lena Fløitmoen -  chose a more traditional path along the lines of Meatloaf or Alice Cooper, whose more theatrical sensibilities come with a nice hard rock edge. I have to say, this is an album for which I'd love to see an extended video production made to accompany it as a Blu-ray release.

The Bottom Line: This is and old school melding of theater and hard rock/heavy metal covering one of the most enduring stories in modern literature. And the combination of Jorn Lande's masterful vocals and Trond Holter's emotive guitar riffs is immensely satisfying.

Tracks To Make You Consider Purchasing A Cape: River Of Tears, Into The Dark, True Love Through Blood, and Under The Gun

- Genghis figures, realistically, that the cape will never make a comeback...