Grand Design – Rawk

Grand Design
Rawk
Label: GMR Music
Out: April 21^st, 2023
Playing time: 50:12

The Swedish AOR rockers Grand Design were founded in 2006 by singer and producer Pelle Saethan. Four years later, the album debut “Time Elevation” was released. Further albums followed at regular intervals. Thus, the current work “Rawk” is already the sixth output of the Swedes. Erik Grawsiö from the compatriots Månegarm and Veith Offenbächer from Dawn of Destiny could be won as guests.

With “Tuff It Out”, the Swedes manage a good start into the current album. A powerful mid-tempo firecracker. With “God Bless Rawk ‘n’ Roll” they take it up a few notches. The choruses, which can be sung along quickly, are worth mentioning. With “Love Or A Fantasy” and the following “Your Luv Is Drivin’ Me Crazy” Grand Design show their preference for melodic AOR in the tradition of the 80s. “Desperate Hearts” starts with keyboard and clean guitar. What begins as a power ballad later also becomes midtempo AOR. And this continues with “Dangerous Attraction”. Only with “We Were Born To Rawk n Roll” does it bang a bit more. The introduction of “Carry On My Wind” with the Tralala (the better uhuhuh) choruses seems a bit cheesy. Slowly you can’t get rid of the feeling that the individual songs sound very similar. Next example? “Give It All Up For Luv” is exactly in the same vein. With “Get Out” the musicians go a bit harder and faster again. And also, the final song “In The H.E.A.T. Of The Nite” doesn’t offer much new.

With “Rawk”, Grand Design have presented a pleasing AOR album. The sound is not new. The Hamburg rockers from Châlice sounded like this many years ago. Certainly, you can listen to the album painlessly if you are a fan of songs that were in heavy rotation on MTV in the 80s (e.g. Def Leppard, KISS of the 80s). However, I miss the innovations a bit. Everything seems a bit too smooth. There certainly could have been more. Especially with the quality of the musicians, as can be heard here.

Grand Design – God Bless Rawk ‘n’ Roll: https://youtu.be/8zSQY2rf1DY

Lineup:

Pelle Saethan – Vocals
Dennis Vestman – Guitar
Stefan Westerlund – Bass
Joakim Jonsson – Drums
Dan Svanbom – Guitar

Track list:

• Tuff It Out
• God Bless Rawk ‘n’ Roll
• Love Or A Fantasy
• Your Luv Is Drivin’ Me Crazy
• Desperate Hearts
• Dangerous Attraction
• We Were Born To Rawk n Roll
• Carry On My Wind
• Give It All Up For Luv
• Get Out
• In The H.E.A.T. Of The Nite