Artist: House Of Shakira Album: Retoxed Label: Lion Music Website: http://www.house-of-shakira.nu Reviewer: Paulo André

Track List: 1. Retox 2. Small Town 3. No Faith 4. Crazy But No Fool 5. Life And Death 6. Gabon Viper 7. High Above 8. Red Alert 9. Bloodline 10. Angel Dancer 11. Turkish Nights When I signed up to write record reviews here at Progscape, I wish had stated clearly that I wouldn't write a single word about pop stars, not even if they're Colombian and looks gorgeous on the page. So, when I got this record about the house of Shakira, I clenched my fists in a fit of rage. There's just no way in hell I will write about pop music like this. I don't care about Shakira, let alone what goes on in her house. Then I woke up and noticed the stack of CDs in my desk which I had to work my way through. "Retoxed" is the fifth installment from Swedish melodic rockers "House of Shakira" and as I picked it up, I had this weird sense of deja vu. I guess I simply shouldn't have smoked any of that stuff. Anyway, are you still there? Because if you are and if you're into melodic hard rock, let me just say you're in for a treat. "Retoxed" surprisingly starts with a slow piano and voice intro of the same name but soon shifts into high gear and just doesn't let go. Now, melodic rock or AOR or whatever you wanna call it just seems to be one of those very specific genres. Fans obviously love it but outside listeners easily fall into the trap of classifying every AOR band as being very much alike any other in the genre. I know I'm guilty of that sin sometimes. So, a word of caution is in order. If you're not into this kind of stuff, steer well away from "Retoxed", as it has the potential to fry your nerves. Otherwise, steer well into it, because House of Shakira's latest album is sheer melodic goodness. That having been said, there's not much more for me to go on about. The band sounds tight like they should with five albums under their belt and vocalist Andreas Eklund certainly is a perfect fit for this band's sound - which is crisp and clear, by the way. This is a very well rounded album, sometimes a little heavy for what's common in the genre yet there's no shortage of vocal harmonies that will hopefully leave you longing for the 80s. Also worth mentioning, the twin guitars of Hallstensson and Lundstrom are like two old buddies in that they cooperate so well, while the rhythm section is strong enough for things to work, like it should. So, in a nutshell, fans of melodic rock with an inclination for metal will love this "Retoxed" stuff and if you happen to be a fan of Journey as well, then run to get this one. You're gonna love it. But if "great melodic vocal harmonies" translates into "cheesy choruses" for you, avoid at all costs. Band: Andreas Eklund - Vocals Mats Hallstensson - Guitars and vocals Anders Lundstrom - Guitars Per Schelander - Bass and vocals Tony Andersson - Drums