Allen/Olzon - 'Worlds Apart' Out now on Frontiers Music srl

Magnus Karlsson previously wrote, produced and played on 3 excellent albums under the Allen / Lande moniker. Now he’s back with a continuation of that project, only now with Jorn Lande having been replaced by Anette Olzon, thus adding a female voice to complement the powerful vocals of Symphony X man, Russell Allen.

This is dramatic, big-scale, grandiose rock with plenty variety and style and much to commend it. Each singer gets 3 solo songs and there’s 5 duets. Allen opens the album by belting out ‘Never Die’. It’s an epic symphonic keyboard- based tune topped off by some blistering shredding from Karlsson. ‘Worlds Apart’ is the first cut to feature both vocalists and is the most Nightwish sounding track. Happily, Anette has been quite prolific recently as it was only in December that I reviewed the outstanding Dark Element album. Her first solo song here is ‘I’ll Never Leave You’ and she sings it beautifully as only a mother could.

It’s not clear if any of the protagonists here actually met but it seems unlikely given the modern options to email it in. Despite that, the joint vocal songs work well, particularly on ‘What If I Live’ which goes in an almost Avantasia direction, as does the following track ‘Lost Soul’. Things then take a more melodic turn later in the album on ‘My Enemy’, ‘Who You Really Are’ and power-ballad ‘Cold Inside’ before wrapping up in style with another highly effective duet on ‘Who’s Gonna Stop Me Now’.

Overall, it works. All of the individuals involved are excellent but it’s when they pool their resources on the joint vocal tracks that they really shine. It’s probably impossible, but an Allen / Lande / Olzon album and tour would really be something special – there’s certainly plenty material there now. No harm in dreaming big, eh?