ALLEN-LANDE: The Great Divide

[KingsGene]

From Frontiers Records FB post:

"Russell Allen (Symphony X, Adrenaline Mob) and Jorn Lande (MasterPlan) have gotten together and recorded another classic metal album under the Allen-Lande moniker! The new album, THE GREAT DIVIDE was recorded under the direction of Timo Tolkki (Timo Tolkki's Avalon, Stratovarius), who also contributed to the songwriting process. The album will be released this October, but in the meantime, here is a sneak peek at the album cover! Looks pretty epic to us! What do you guys think?"

To see the image:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...97654610.23621.108579845864742&type=1&theater

 

[Justin G]

Freaking Timo Tolkki is going to ruin this for me. At least when Magnus Karlsson wrote the same album over and over, it was an album I liked.

 

[DADRocks]

Freaking Timo Tolkki is going to ruin this for me. At least when Magnus Karlsson wrote the same album over and over, it was an album I liked.

+1...............Magnus is such a stellar writer, I'm also afraid that Timo will f...k this up!!

 

[Sir Exar Kun]

I thought I read somewhere that Magnus still wrote it, but didn't have the time to actually record it...... Hopefully that is true.....

 

[TENTH DREAMER DECEIVER]

The last one stunk so they can only go up.

 

[metalprof]

The new album, THE GREAT DIVIDE was recorded under the direction of Timo Tolkki (Timo Tolkki's Avalon, Stratovarius), who also contributed to the songwriting process."

That's like reading the new Star Wars film was directed by Michael Bay, who contributed to the screenwriting process.

 

[Rezz]

That's like reading the new Star Wars film was directed by Michael Bay, who contributed to the screenwriting process.

I was thinking Uwe Boll, but yea.

 

[Azrael LenGraden]

Freaking Timo Tolkki is going to ruin this for me. At least when Magnus Karlsson wrote the same album over and over, it was an album I liked.

LOL...

 

[KingsGene]

From Frontier Records FB post:

THE GREAT DIVIDE is set for release October 17th in Europe and October 21st in North America. You can pre-order from Amazon.com (Amazon Music) here: http://geni.us/AllenLandeAMZ (Please note that pre-orders might not be up in all territories yet, but will be soon if not available yet.)

​

 

[orcslayr23]

I'm not impressed with this trailer. I love Jorn's work in Masterplan, but it seems like everything else he does is subpar. Someone prove me wrong plz.

 

[espz]

Now I need to spin The Battle again to remind myself. Sir Allen can do no wrong (of course...). But much like another Timo project, Avalon, Allen Lande has always been just GOOD...not "Great". I don't get the hate for Timo, but I see where him doing "good" but not "great" music is part of that. Is "good" or "just ok" the same as subpar in our genre? There's so much really great stuff out there right now....

 

[Justin G]

I'm not liking what I've heard. I kept waiting for Kotipelto's vocals to kick in.

 

[TribunalRecords]

Terrible trailer. Music is so boring like later Stratovarius stuff he wrote. The Strum King.

 

[TheLongshot]

Well, it wasn't bad, but it sure was bland as hell. It takes some real talent to make Jorn and Allen sound bland.

 

[High Speed Kurt]

I love the three allen lande albums. This does nothing for me. Timo has ruined this.

 

[Fire breath]

Timo's latest album was a huge waste of time however I'm actually liking this trailer. Sounds like a decent set of songs but the production on the guitars seems weak as piss whilst the vocals are super clear and loud.

 

[OrionSon]

I kind of liked the trailer. That second song is growing on me, though the guitars sound kind of weak.

 

[adaher]

There's no way this will be as good as the last three Allen/Lande albums, but putting Tolkki in charge might give it a bit of a different sound than the last three.

 

[adaher]

Okay, after listening to the samples, two observations, both positive:

1) It actually sounds like Tolkki is getting more vocally out of them than Karlsson or Sammet ever did. Not that they didn't sing their asses off on the Avantasia and previous Allen/Lande albums, but Tolkki's style of power metal seems to be demanding more of them vocally than ever and they are nailing it!

2) With Tolkki you always have to worry about what you're getting, but he seems to have fully embraced giving the Allen/Lande fans what they want while putting his own stamp on it. This is exactly what I would have imagined a good Allen/Lande/Tolkki album sounding like, and it's pretty darn impressive. Tolkki only gets bad when he get self-indulgent, and I imagine on this project he understood what he was supposed to produce and did it exactly right.

Personally, I think using a new writer and producer is a good idea. These guys are great for power metal, great for prog metal, great for hard rock, great for AOR, great for anything. Maybe next time they could use Erik Martensson, or even Jim Peterik.

 

[KingsGene]

From Magnus Karlsson's FB page:
"I get a lot of questions about the new ALLEN/LANDE album. I can’t answer all the emails and messages so I write here instead. I’m not involved in the new album in any way and don’t know anything about it. I had so much fun making the first three albums and it was an honor to work with two of the best singers in the world! I wish Jorn, Russell and the guys all the best for the future! I think it’s impossible to get enough of their amazing voices!"