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What’s the adage? You can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Not to compare Europe to an ageing bloodhound enjoying its dotage – although they did rock a few poodle perms in their time – but in the nine years since they last released a new album, something vital and new has shaken Europe up. Forget the ethereal noodling that made The Final Countdown a worldwide hit and phenomenon; Come This Madness is a much steelier proposition – harder, faster, and with a Mike Fraser (AC/DC, The Cult) mix it glimmers like a fresh paint job on a classic car.
Handing over the producer role to Tom Dalgety – who’s worked with Pixies, Ghost and Rammstein, among others – has also helped reinvigorate the band’s energy with a punchy veneer that recalls Scorpions in their pomp and latter-day Whitesnake before the wheels came off
It says something of Europe’s pedigree that both Tobias Forge and Mikael Åkerfeldt, of Ghost and Opeth respectively, turned up to sing backing vocals on the record, although both would have to go some to overshadow Joey Tempest’s pristine vocals, which have held up as well as if not better than his celebrated jawline.
It might be the Scandinavian talking, but the exemplary This Time Of Year, which manages to be somehow forthright and yet brittle at its heart, could have made it into A-ha’s live set. A pitch-perfect rock-pop song full of regret and longing, it plays out like a short black-and-white movie.
The Angels Must Have Flown is pure Europe bombast, with a marching riff interwoven with a tricksy synth line as Tempest’s vocals soar above it all sounding, strangely, like a young Ian Gillan. The Cult Of Ignorance comes rattling in, all elbows and attitude, the band dissatisfied and railing against the world, which, surprisingly, suits them. It’s indicative of the album’s taut energy; needles in the red, bristling with passion.
The album’s last note belongs to Nothing Can Follow This, which wrings that musical rag similarly dry, Deep Purple-like in tone; stabbing strings, washes of keyboards, the feel of endless motion; a car racing through the city streets at night; John Norum’s elongated and elegant guitar solo carrying the song towards the horizon and home. Welcome back, Europe.
