As talked about in our previous interview, Danish musician Nicklas Sonne followed through on his intent to release another solo record. Now a part of the Frontiers Music camp because of his work in Aries Descendant with Pyramaze keyboardist Jonah Weingarten, Electric Dreams is a follow-up to the outstanding Resonance debut from 2022 that continues to showcase the versatility in terms of songwriting abilities and diversity for styles within Nicklas’ aural umbrella. Everything from power metal to melodic, classic hard rock appears within these twelve tracks – gaining strength through modern production techniques that should appeal to a wider cross-section of followers.
Unison vocal harmonies sit nicely next to smartly executed musical foundations where Nicklas can inject the occasional upper register note / scream for an additional energy boost – “Route 65” an early standout in this regard that’s meant for cruising on an open road. At other times there’s a bit of a twist to specific hooks that veer into the Nickelback/Shinedown landscape be it specific, rhythmic-oriented melodies or the stadium-oriented guitar lines. Check out “Shadows in Between” that has a bit of that Mutt Lange/Def Leppard swagger next to some nifty shredding / blitzkrieg electric guitar work or “Baron of Mischief” where Nicklas uses a wider array of his lower to mid-range register next to a heavier anthem-oriented musical foundation.
One minute you’ll be swept away by a classic hook fest track, then seep back into some traditional Judas Priest / Accept-like material that’s meant for fists to fly high, the latter present in “Living Loud”. Certain songs would have been easy commercial favorites on major rock radio stations (should they be willing to give new artists a fighting chance), as the semi-acoustic “Epic Song” or emotionally-charged ballad “Always With Us” illustrate – Nicklas a master at spreading his songwriting skills into dynamic directions. And for those who enjoy virtuoso cuts where a musician can be technically brilliant in a memorable context, enjoy the closer “Overload” instrumental in which the man’s Gus G meets neoclassical-like skills elevate to superior levels.
Truly an individual affair handling all the aspects from instrumentation to songwriting to production, Electric Dreams offers up a respectful confidence to Nicklas Sonne in all aspects of his favored classic hard rock to traditional, power, and melodic metal influences. Deeply personal, it’s a touching record that should appeal to legions of rock and metal fans.