Starmen – Starmenized II

Starmen
Starmenized II
Label: Melodic Passion Records
Out: 28 November 2025
Playing time: 39:30

Four years ago, I took a closer look at “By The Grace Of Rock N Roll”, the third album by Swedish Rock band Starmen. And I really liked it. The successor ‘Starmenized’ somehow passed me by. Did I not receive a promo for it? I don’t know. But now the fifth album ‘Starmenized II’ is on the way. Of course I took the opportunity to listen to it.

Right from the start, the Swedes cause ‘Trouble’. After a short synth intro, the song stomps majestically along at mid-tempo. Things sound very different on ‘Born To Rock’. The pace really picks up. The silver Starman on drums in particular drives his bandmates forward. The riffs fly around the listener’s ears. Of course, the guitar solo is also played at high speed. ‘15 Minutes Of Pain’ doesn’t sound as painful as the title suggests. It’s fine rock “n” roll, with some ‘huhu’ vocals. And it almost goes without saying that fast-fingered purple Starman contributes another guitar solo. ‘The One’ is a very catchy, mainstream song. However, it is by no means cheesy. The vocals are almost consistently in slightly higher pitch ranges. Are these AC/DC riffs at the beginning of ‘Shark In The Dark’? The raspy vocals also reinforce this impression. And I think I can recognise some parallels to ‘Shot In The Dark’ (AC/DC, 2020) from the album ‘Power Up’. For me, this is the highlight of the album. “Fire” is also dominated by heavy guitar riffs. In contrast, ‘One World’ is a powerful hard rock anthem. ‘Shame On You’ is another mid-tempo rock “n” roll song with a chorus that invites you to sing along. ‘Not Your Enemy’ starts with synths. But only briefly, then guitar licks follow, accompanied by beautiful melodies. The guitars screech on the final song, ‘Waiting On A Heartbreak’. Fast, hard riffs dominate.

Some things never change. For example, the somewhat silly stage names and the Kiss-inspired face paint. Fortunately, the fresh sound of Starmen has hardly changed either. Once again, we are transported back to the golden age of Stadium Rock. ‘Starmenized II’ is fun from start to finish. The influences of Kiss and Whitesnake are evident throughout. And this time, AC/DC sounds are also present. It’s enjoyable entertainment on a high musical level.

Starmen – Trouble: https://youtu.be/KI2posbIN6E?si=edLG1TdcawXHgVWK

Lineup:

Starman Red (Kristian Hermanson) – Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Starman Gold (Jonatan Samuelsson) – Bass, Vocals
Starman Purple (Andreas Lindgren) – Lead Guitar, Vocals
Starman Silver (John Hector) – Drums, Vocals

Track list:

• Trouble
• Born To Rock
• 15 Minutes Of Pain
• The One
• Shark In The Dark
• Fire
• One World
• Shame On You
• Not Your Enemy
• Waiting On A Heartbreak