Customer Reviews

Lonely Are The Brave

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the 5th studio release from Norwegian vocalist Jorn Lande. He is often compared to David Coverdale and Ronnie James Dio due to his range and vocal styles/techniques he consciously incorporates from these rock masters. "Lonely are the Brave" 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 up the volume the more you realize what a grandiose production this 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 "Night City" (where Jorn performs the most accurate imitation of the Dio style one could hear) 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.

Buying this album as any other from his 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.

"Rock Hard" Greek magazine (issue 33) marks this album with 8/10 commenting: "Jorn has found the way of constantly coming up with very good albums"

2008's Lonely are the Brave is album number five from Norwegian melodic rock supervocalist Jorn Lande (ex-Ark, Masterplan, Millenium, and too many other bands to count). It's also arguably his best album to date. It's abundantly clear listening to Jorn sing that he was influenced by David Coverdale and Ronnie James Dio, and with Lonely are the Brave Jorn has written the ultimate tribute to those metal icons.

This is, for lack of a better term, the best Dio album written since Dream Evil. If Ronnie James Dio had written an album in 1985 for David Coverdale to sing, I think it would sound exactly like Lonely are the Brave. Hell, I'm halfway convinced that Dio did write "Night City" and forgot to record it himself. And Jorn belting out "look for the answer" at the end of "War of the World" is so Heaven and Hell it's not funny. Beyond the strong Dio vibe, the album really gets to the heart of Jorn's style and how he sees his role. The title track, in addition to being an absolutely perfect melodic hard rock anthem, is practically a mission statement and is probably the best song Jorn has ever written.

My only complaint with Lonely are the Brave is its relatively short length. It includes just nine songs and clocks in at roughly 45 minutes. On the flip side, there is not a single song on this album that remotely qualifies as filler, and you're definitely left wanting more.

Lonely are the Brave 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. There's still a month to go in 2008, but Lonely are the Brave is already sitting at the top of my Top 10 list for the year.

This was my third Jorn solo purchase, working backwards from the Dio tribute and Spirit Black. I agree with the other reviewer who stated it isn't as catchy as some of his other solo efforts. As a result, I didn't like it as much as either of my first two purchases. At first. After acquiring the rest of Jorn's solo catalog, however, Lonely are the Brave has become my favorite of his solo releases. It started with the chorus of the title track getting stuck in my head, and then I found myself humming the intro guitar part of "War of the World." Before I knew it, whenever I was in a Jorn kind of mood, this album became my go-to album. In short, this has become not only my favorite Jorn album, but one of my favorite albums, period.

When I found out there were three bonus tracks on a couple of different editions, I knew I had to have them. The Limited Edition has "Stormbringer," a blistering cover of the Deep Purple song, and "Stone in Water". The Japanese edition has "Showdown," a slower, quieter song that Jorn originally recorded with The Snakes back in 1998. Put all together, this makes for an extended 12-song version on my iPod. And more is always a good thing.

I have been listening to it for about 2 months in the truck. Can't get enough. The first track is my favorite right now. This is my first Jorn album, so I wasn't sure what to expect. So far, so good.

The Good
Jorn is like Ronnie James Dio and David Coverdale on steroids. He makes that clear on his bombastic vocals on "Lonely are the Brave." Crunchy guitars and a fiery vocals help drive the dark rocker "Night City." Passionate wails and pounding drums kick off the super-charged "Shadow People." Chugga-chugga riffage takes you through the rest of the track. Jorn knows how to mix things up too. "Soul of the Wind" is a pure vocal highlight as Jorn shows off his soulfulness early on, then comes full-boar in the middle. "The Inner Road" is loaded with guitar and vocal fury.

The Bad
This is a very short album; 45 minutes and 9 songs.

The Verdict
Lonely Are the Brave is chock-full of energy, power, and heavy metal thunder. No wussy ballads mucking things up here.

I bought this album to try something new and was I surprised. This album absolutely rocks. Every song rocks on this album- There are no slow songs. The production is excellent.

LOL, what Jason just said about this being the album DIO would have written if he had let Coverdale sing it is dead on. I've been saying that since it came out and pretty much about Jorn Lande since i discovered him.

Great album and fans of old school Dio era Black Sabbath will LOVE this album!!!!

I`ve never listened before a norway-based metal band and this is the first time I did so after I purchased this CD.This is a very good,well-done,heavy-toned and nicely musical at the same time piece of metal music work.I`ve never heard of this band before and I feel quite satisfied with this CD.I would recommend this CD straightforwardly.