TARMAT – OUT OF THE BLUE ( Review by Varg The Mighty )

Today’s review is of Brazilian AOR band Tarmat’s debut album, out on October 22^nd.

While the release starts with a powerful hit imbued in synth greatness and nostalgic guitar melodies, the rest of the album takes a notable twist. Unlike the opening track, the other songs take a much lighter approach, similar to Scorpions or Frankie Goes To Hollywood ballads, even though the occasional Melodic Heavy Metal twist sometimes appears.

It’s best to check the album out expecting softer and chill-out Soft Rock songs than if you’re waiting for a hard turn. This band creates the sort of AOR to listen while having a martini in a utopic island instead of shifting into overdrive on the highway. The full-length as a whole is pretty decent and seems to fit pretty well in the categorisation of new AOR bands reviving the 80’s glorious days, though they have their own style developed that may probably help listeners of modern Pop Rock start to develop a better musical taste. My personal highlights are “Backbone Feeling” and “Rosetta Stone”.

I recommend this album to fans of AOR, Soft Rock and Melodic Heavy Metal. My rating is of 8/10.

VARG THE MIGHTY