This is Europe’s first album, released back in ‘83. If you only know Europe from The Final Countdown, then they are almost unrecognizable here. They sort of sound like a cross between Thin Lizzy and UFO with a very late 70’s vibe. Joey Tempest wrote all the songs on the album apart from the instrumental track Boyazont.

It’s not a bad effort but the production is a bit sparse and could do with a big dose of oomph! However, John Norum is the star of the show here because his playing is fantastic, and I think he was only 19 at the time of the album’s release. If you’re looking for an AOR/Melodic Rock big chorus sing a long then you will be disappointed. There are nine hard rock tracks on the album, with the standout being Paradize Bay. It has a different and cool groove with a choppy riff compared to the rest of songs with Mr. Norum ripping all over it.

It’s cool to see how bands develop and Europe have changed a lot. Cool to hear how they started.

7/10 from The Grooveman.