Perfect Plan are thrilled to announce the release of their new studio album, “Heart of a Lion”, set for release on February 28th, 2025, via Frontiers Music Srl.
Coinciding with the announcement, the band share the first single and accompanying video for “We Are Heroes”, available now.
Lead singer Kent Hilli describes the first single, by saying:
“‘We Are Heroes’ is a song that is about the ‘every day life heroes’ we humans can be… Like nurses, doctors, firefighters, police officers etc., but also about humans climbing their way up from everyday struggles, substance abuse, other addictions, mental health issues, and becoming a better version of themselves. At the same time, helping and inspiring others by stating themselves as an example of progress and recovery. When I wrote the lyrics, I was imagining myself in a conversation with God about our everyday struggles as humans. As humans we are facing different choices everyday but the choice to choose love will always be the best and the only way for us going forward”.
Talking about the album, he states: “The new album is once again showcasing that we have developed and matured as a band in terms of songwriting and production. The melodies, riffs and hooks that we have created on this album are overall the best we’ve done so far. I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished. Although our main influences like Survivor, Foreigner, Europe, Whitesnake are still shining through, there’s that unmistakable Perfect Plan sound that is the driving center of it all. And I think we have strengthened that sound and identity.
“With ‘Brace for Impact’ we wanted to discover a new heavier and ‘in your face’ sound but on this album we are back to the sound of the first 2 albums, with more keyboards and bigger sound taking you back to the 80’s with a modern touch and feel. On this album we once again teamed up with Mårten Eriksson, whom we worked with on ‘Time for a Miracle’”, Hilli adds. “Mårten brought his extreme talent to the songs both co-producing with us and also did he mixing. Mårtens long experience as both songwriter and producer in the pop-industry brought so much to the table and the end result is simply fantastic. If you liked our previous albums, you are gonna love ‘Heart of a Lion’”!
Perfect Plan’s fourth studio album, “Heart of a Lion” marks the culmination of the band’s musical production to date. Over the course of their first trilogy of albums, “All Rise”, “Time for a Miracle” and “Brace for Impact”, the Swedes have quickly established themselves as a new gold standard in not only the Scandinavian melodic rock genre, but the melodic rock genre as a whole.
Kent Hilli is a one of a kind singer that gained world reputation almost from the start. His class, range, tone and heartfelt expression caught the attention of his heroes Giant, who picked him to sing on their latest album “Shifting Time”, and saw Kent releasing 2 solo albums in 2021 (“The Rumble”) and 2023 (“Nothing Left to Lose”).
Completing the line up, Rolf Nordström, guitarist extraordinaire, Mats Byström, the music mastermind who plays bass and form a solid, rock hard base with drummer Fredrik Forsberg. The subtle textures, so important in AOR, come from Leif Ehlin’s keyboards.
“Heart of a Lion” is a powerful statement from the band offering the absolute best songwriting and production ever: a strong offering, with roots very well planted in the 80’s AOR sound. Produced by the band in collaboration with Mårten Eriksson, the band was determined to top the musical results they reached until now and took a few months – from the end of 2024 – to come out with the right musical material.
Sometimes the stars align, and the result is absolutely stunning: a perfect balance of energy and unforgettable melodies is what you are going to find in “Heart of a Lion”.
Perfect Plan come to offer the “perfect” (pun intended) combination: a superb singer, a well-oiled band of experienced players, and a great songwriting talent with a knack for unforgettable melodies and driving rhythms.
With “Heart of a Lion”, Perfect Plan have crafted an outstanding piece of work which, while paying tribute to the obvious references to the sound of the classics (think Survivor, Foreigner, The Storm, Giant etc.) and Scandinavian AOR, has a recognizable identity and personal feel.
Pre-order & pre-save “Heart of a Lion” here.
Tracklist:
1. Heart of a Lion
2. Too Tough
3. We Are Heroes
4. All Night
5. Ready to Break
6. My Unsung Hero
7. Turn Up Your Radio
8. Lady Mysterious
9. One Touch
10. Danger on the Loose
11. At Your Stone
Line-up:
Kent Hilli – Lead Vocals
Leif Ehlin – Keyboards
Rolf Nordström – Guitar
Mats Byström – Bass
Fredrik Forsberg – Drums
Weblinks:
www.facebook.com/perfectplansweden
www.instagram.com/perfect_plan_official
