Kev Rowland Coldspell were formed in 2005 by guitarist and songwriter Michael Larsson, and this is their third album since then. It is the first that I have heard, but I see that the artwork on all three are similar in approach, they all reference the fact that they live in a cold country (Sweden) and they have all been produced with Tommy Hansen (Helloween, TNT, Pretty Maids, Jorn etc) so at least they are consistent. The consistency has obviously stood them in good stead, as if the other albums are like this then I really ought to seek them out. As one would expect from seeing that they are signed to Escape Music, this is melodic rock. The main difference between this and many of the other acts on that label is that these guys are also very much a metal band, bringing in power metal and symphonic metal influences as well as melodic hard rock and metal to create something that has plenty of balls and punch, but with plenty of balls to boot.

I found myself being reminded of classic Journey, but a lot heavier, as these guys really know how to take a tune and run with it. They may be from the cold of Sweden and play with it, but in many ways this is a perfect summer’s album with this just blasting into the night as the party just keeps getting more raucous. Every element is in harmony, with great tunes and vocals combining with the guitars to create something that is reminiscent of Seventies AOR before it became sappy, but with plenty of additional crunching guitars to boot.

Well worth investigating for anyone who enjoys melodic metal, I promise you won’t be disappointed. www.Escape-Music.com

Stephen I can't help myself thinking, does every single person in Sweden really know how to play and make music, cause it seems every great record that came out in the last five years are coming from that land. After marking their career with the blistering debut, "Infinite Stargaze", Coldspell is ready to inflict a much more remarkable impact with "Out From The Cold". The weight of the music is heavier yet the sweet edge of melodic rock is still retained to pacify the casual fans. To summarize what will you find inside in one sentence, think of the classic style of Blue Murder and Whitesnake getting mixed up with Talisman and Europe.

In one single spin, three tracks that really outshine the rest are "Run For Your Life", reminiscent of the firey licks from Heaven's Edge debut, and the chorus is just brilliant; "Seven Wonders", a track lush of mind-boggling melodies and well-crafted chorus that will stuck your mind for days, maybe weeks; and "Time", a spectacular melodic metal, check out the heaven-sent arrangement and the blinding spell casted from Larsson's axe, this is their finest moment for sure.

Several other great tracks that have grown on me are "One In A Million", a song with thunderous riffs on a Dream Theater-ish rhythm platform, especially on the "Image and Words" era, and the soaring vocal of Swedentorp is a big highlight. "The King" is a power ballad that's reminiscent of early Savatage, pretty much enjoyable as well and "Heading For Tomorrow" is another huge groovy track with a strong heavy metal influence.

Coldspell did an amazing job here and thanks to the mastermind behind the songwriting vehicle, Michael Larsson, who also deserved a standing applause for his grandeur solos throughout the album. However, this is not an immediate album and required at least 3-4 spins to appreciate, but even though it’s surpassed by many great releases of 2011, it’s still a solid effort by the band, and hopefully they’ll come up with a better output in the future.