A.C.T-Rebirth

7,5/10

Swedish progressive rock/metal band A.C.T. have been around since 1994 when they were called Fairyland. 1999 they released their first album as A.C.T. called "Todays Report". Since then, they have released four more studio albums and one live album and built up a big fan base both in Sweden and all over the world also thanks to their fantastic live performances. After a long five-year wait they will finally release their seventh album, this time an EP called "Rebirth" that will hit the stores on March 29th.

"Rebirth" contains five songs and starts of with "The Ruler of the World". You can watch the video here:

The new album has everything that every A.C.T. fan will love. There are amazing melodies and harmonies all through the album, but also with quirkyness and the "happy A.C.T. atmosphere", fantastic musicianship and amazing guitar work, especially on "A Broken Trust" and also an ABBA flirt on "Meet the Past" and a verse on "Digital Affair" that will challenge the most narrow-minded fan-ears.

They have created their own sound and DNA which you can hear on all of their albums. They have a great sense of melody and harmonisation similar to big bands like Queen, Saga and Sparks, a pop feel like Jellyfish and the metal progressiveness of bands like Dream Theater. What is most important(and you can hear that clearly in every single song they record) is finding those catchy, quirky pop melodies and harmonies to match the awesome musicianship.

The instrumental parts are always tasteful and pleasing and fitting, never just to show off even though they could if they wanted (and thankfully they do show of their skills now and then). For example the guitar solo on "A Broken Trust" is breathtaking. I just wish it would have been longer, but that is not A.C.T.'s style. They do catchiness before complexity and elegance before boasting. A.C.T. will be performing at Sweden rock festival in june.

Rebirth:
1. The ruler of the world
2. Running out of luck
3. Digital affair
4. Meet the past
5. A broken trust

A.C.T. are:
Jerry Sahlin (Synthesizers, Vocals, Vocoder)
Tomas Lejon (Drums and Percussion, Backing Vocals)
Ola Andersson (Guitars, Backing Vocals)
Peter Asp (Bass Guitar, Percussion, Backing Vocals)
Herman Saming (Lead Vocals)

Previous releases
Today's report 1999
Imaginery friends 2001
Last Epic 2003
Silence 2006
Circus Pandemonium 2014
Trifles and Pandemonium (Live) 2016

Artist: A.C.T.
Title: Rebirth
Label: Actworld
Date of release: 2019-03-29
Rate: 7.5 of 10
Stand out track: A broken trust