This is the sixth studio release from Norwegian vocalist Jorn Lande. Often compared to David Coverdale and Ronnie James Dio due to his range and vocal styles/techniques he consciously incorporates from these rock masters. "Spirit Black" is a fairly good effort which gives Jorn the opportunity to uncover a great deal of his vocal talent.
Jorn's solo works were always supported by fine production, but this time things are levitated to the next stage. The sound is clearer than ever with accurate sustain which manages to shine perfectly through a descent stereo system. The more you crank this bad boy up the more you realize how solid the production is. Composition wise, this release unfortunately does not stand as Jorn's best solo work; There are indeed what could be called standout tracks, such as the title track and "Road To The Cross" (where Jorn performs the most accurate imitation of the Dio style one could hear) then you have tracks like "City In Between" and "Rock And Roll Angel" show just how powerful Jorn's vocals prowess really is. But none of these could be compared to hard rock milestones such as "Christine" and AOR classics like "Bridges Will Burn" that Jorn offered us in the past. Still, 'Spirits Black' is a must have for Jorn fans, and will blow away just about anyone who still loves the classic melodic rock and metal sound. Fans of Dio and Whitesnake in particular should absolutely love it. Buying this album as any other from Jorn's back catalogue will not disappoint as we unquestionably get value for money. But if one is to be fair, it must be said that Jorn still has not made that perfect, start to finish, album the fans have been expecting.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
