Swedish Xinema are back with their 2nd album and 2 years has passed since the debut album "Different Ways" was released. That was a very good AOR album with pomp influences that reminded of 80s Asia and Cannata with a vocalist that sounded like a young John Wetton. I fell in love with that album and was looking forward to hear more of this promising band, so now they are back with a brand new album called Basic Communication and a new sound I?m afraid. Sure the AORish sound is still there but they have left the pomp out and instead gone the other direction leaning more to progressive melodic rock with a softer approach. I would compare their sound to Saga, ACT and some Asia, but I would not say that they are on the same level. Sure, this is very well done where the fans of Saga will have a good time listening to but the drumsound is strange. It?s not bad but I would have wanted a more powerful drumsound and it may not disturb many but it?s a thing that put down the rating, otherwise the production is very good.
The album starts with 3 normal songs but after that it turns out to sections called Speak To The World Part I-IV and Ghost Of A Memory Part I-V. The keyboards are very important for the sound of Xinema and they have managed to come up with brilliant sections in the songs that are really strong. But in the same time I miss the moments that captures you with hookladen songs that they had on the debut. This is too progressive for me but they do it very good. Songs to watch out for are "Train To Nowhere", "Newton?s Cradle", "Nothing To Fear" (best song on the album with traces of Asia) and "Dust In Your Eyes". Jonas Thuren, Mikael Askemur and Sven Larsson has done a nice album and if you?re into Saga then give these guys a chance. Personally I think the debut was a better album.
Tantric´s originally formed in 1999 by three former members of Days of the New, Jesse Vest, Todd Whitener, and Matt James Taul, with the addition of Merge singer, Hugo Ferreira.
