By Monk
There’s a massive giveaway in both the name of the band and this double package of albums, one being re-released, the other a new infliction on our aural senses, as to what to expect when you press play. Yes, this Scandinavian supergroup, the brainchild of Pretty Maids keyboardist/guitarist Chris Laney, specialize in rocked up versions of songs from the movies that we all grew up watching, and either loving or hating, in the Eighties and Nineties. The first volume concentrates on the former decade, the second on the latter.
Inspired by rewatching many of the movies concerned during the lockdowns of the past two years, and having enlisted the help of the likes of Royal Hunt drummer Allan Sørensen, Bjorn ‘Speed’ Strid, Pontus Egberg and Hammerfall’s Pontus Norgren, Laney set about more or less re-imagining many of those theme tunes we probably wish we couldn’t hear again, such was the level of cheesiness first time around. But you know what? ATM have upped the cheddar factor to the nth degree and gone totally OTT with this infuriatingly irritating yet infectious collection.
On ‘TSOYL1’, many of the versions are surprisingly faithful to the originals, with Laney and co by and large seeming to resist the temptation to “metalize” them – at least not overly so, as there is the occasional crunching riff lurking in the background, as well as the odd shredding solo sneaked in for good measure. The track listing is also pretty safe, sticking to the most recognizable themes and movies of the ‘80s, from ‘Flashdance’ and ‘St Elmo’s Fire’ through ‘Dirty Dancing’ and ‘Mad Max (Beyond Thunderdome)’ to ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ and ‘The Neverending Story’: all instantly recognizable and guaranteed to trigger those long-lost memories. In among a few curve balls, such as ‘View To A Kill’, there are some glorious moments of in(s)anity, such as a male vocal makeover of ‘We Don’t Another Hero’ and surprisingly punchy renditions of ‘The Power Of Love’ and ‘The Heat Is On’, while closer ‘Far From Over’ is the first complete “rock out” and knocks the original out of the park.
‘Volume 2’ follows more or less the same path, mixing a collection of the big pops with a few lesser-known gems. By and large, the approach on the second volume is a bit rockier – maybe a sign of growing confidence in being able to get away with this shit – and a big revelation is the increasing use of Linnéa Vikström, who really only featured on duets on #1, to take over the higher pitched male vocals on the likes of ‘Waiting For A Star To Fall’ and ‘The One And Only’. Again, there are few surprises, such as the strident duopoly ‘When You Say Nothing At All’ and ‘(You Drive Me) Crazy’. And the closing clamour of ‘I Want It That Way’ is just a beautiful touch of sublime silliness coupled with two awesome vocal performances.
Delivering more cheese than a truckload of Philadelphia, ‘TSOYL’ nevertheless manages to sprinkle the odd hint of chilli into the creamy mix. It is an affectionate trip down memory lane and no doubt will have many fans raiding their DVD collections to dig out the original movies… It’s just a pity about the release date for this collection, as both albums would make the perfect soundtrack for yet another locked in New Year’s Eve party… ah well…
What’s next for ATM? Laney has hinted at a collection of Disney songs. He’s also been talking about festival appearances: come on, Bloodstock, get on it… Sunday morning and a field full of drunken, mud-caked metallers singing poptastic Eighties movie themes? What’s not to love?
- ‘The Soundtrack Of Your Life – Vols 1 and 2’ are released on 7 January. You can get your copies HERE.
www.facebook.com/atthemoviesofficial
- All content © Über Rock. Not to be reproduced in part or in whole without the express written permission of Über Rock.