The Swedish AOR trio Grand burst onto the scene in 2022 with the release of their self-titled debut album, which showed their potential. Their second album, aptly titled “Second to None”, is a worthy successor that gives more of the same quality and style but with a bit more diversity. The trio remains the same as on their debut, with Mattias Olofsson on vocals, Jakob Svensson (Wigelius) on guitar, bass, and keyboards, and Anton Martinez Matz on drums and bass.
The band’s AOR music is embellished with more melodic rock and a few hard rock elements on the new album. The production is full, crystal clear, and contemporary. The album sounds really fresh, despite the band’s main influences coming from the 80s and 90s AOR & Melodic Rock scene.
Some of the album’s notable moments include the duet between Mattias Olofsson and Nina Söderquist on “Kryptonite” and the charming saxophone interludes by special guest Kristian Brink. Furthermore, songs like “Crash and Burn”, “When We Were Young”, “Leave No Scar”, “Lily” (which has that lovely Journey feel), “Out of the Blue”, “Achille’s Heel”, and “Daze of Yesterday” (an amazing ballad with a Survivor flavor) demonstrate the band’s ability to craft wonderful melodies with memorable hooks. Unfortunately, “Rock Bottom” feels totally out of place… they should have left it off the album. However, it doesn’t appear to impact the album’s atmosphere in any way.
Although the guys do not claim to be reinventing the wheel, they deliver classy AOR & melodic rock with catchy melodies and pure enjoyment that will leave you wanting more. “Second to None” is a damn good album that will make you feel good, sing along, and believe in the power of rock music again…
