Angeline “Rhythm of One”
Sweden’s Angeline is back with a new album filled with clean rock for grown-ups.
I have fond memories of attending many excellent Angeline shows in Sweden in the late 80s and early 90s. I often still listen to their excellent 1988 demo “The Legend”. Some of the edginess of those early years is now gone from the band’s music. Like their early fans, the band members have grown up. Such is life.
While original vocalist Sigge Sigvardsson sadly passed away much too young in 1995 and keyboardist Peer Åström moved on to work with artists such as Madonna, Celine Dion, Cyndi Lauper and Hall & Oates as a songwriter, musician and record producer, the rest of Angeline’s original line-up is intact. Guitarist Jocke Nilsson has taken on lead vocals and keyboards. The rest of the band consists of Janne Arkegren on guitar, Uffe Nilsson on bass and Tobbe Jonsson on drums (also a member of the heavy metal band The Lightbringer of Sweden). The fact that these four lads have played together since the 1980s is evident in these recordings.
In 2025, Angeline is a mature band delivering radio-friendly melodic rock (but I guess no one really listens to radio any more…). “Rhythm of One” gives us clean AOR-style rock for grown-ups. It’s more Nestor than Slayer. As I, too, am getting older, I can appreciate catchy clean rock (although I am all for noisy as fuck and hellish dark music on most days). Angeline does a fine job of delivering the goods. “Til’ the Bitter End” is a standout track combining catchiness with great guitars. “Got Me Running” is another smoking track.
Angeline’s new album “Rhythm of One” is out now via Blow Your Fez Off Music.
