“Kingdom of Illusion” is Stardust’s sophomore album, which comes three years after their successful debut “Highway to Heartbreak”. Peter Horn (Rebel Gel) is also the band’s new drummer. Apart from this, there are no other changes to the lineup. Hence, we have Adam Stewart on vocals, Facey on guitars, Dave Legrant on keyboards, and Ben Martin on bass.
In comparison to their debut, the band’s music now has a more hard rock edge. However, the AOR elements that embellish their sound are still present. What I enjoy the most about this album is their ability to blend sweet melodies with rockin’ guitars. Of course, there are moments where they are smooth and laid-back, like on “Sarah”, where the AOR/Westcoast influences (a la Toto) are obvious. The same goes for the wonderful ballad “Make Me Feel Your Love”. Songs such as “War”, “The Fire”, “Losing Me”, “Sacrifice”, “Heroes”, and “One First Kiss” are great examples of melodic rock music with hard rock elements.
The production is full, dynamic, and crystal clear. It’s obvious that they put in a lot of time and effort to get such a beautiful and excellent sound. The musicianship is superb, and Adam steals the show with his incredible voice. It’s hard to guess that this band comes from Hungary, a country that’s not a big force when it comes to Melodic Rock / AOR music. I would bet that they are from Scandinavia, but I would lose that bet right away.
It’s hard to believe that this band is from Hungary, a country not known for its Melodic Rock / AOR scene. I’d guess they’re from Scandinavia, but I’d be completely wrong. If you have listened to their debut, then you will be nicely surprised with “Kingdom of Illusion”. If you haven’t come across Stardust yet, then now is the time to do it, and you won’t regret it.
