Given that Lana Lane is the wife of keyboardist extraordinaire Erik Norlander I was half expecting Red Planet Boulevard to be very progressive in nature, especially as Norlander wrote or co-wrote at least half of the albums. I couldn't have been proven more wrong however.

The band themselves describe the music as symphonic rock and one really cannot argue with that description.  After repeated plays the best way to summarize Red Planet Boulevard would be as a blend of late 60's early 70's rock with some subtle symphonic overtones. Think of a blend of the Moody Blues and Led Zeppelin but with a female lead vocal. Indeed Lane’s vocals are very much the whole focal point of the album and what a voice the girl has, a magnificent amalgam of Heart's Ann Wilson and Doro Pesch, in fact some of the bass lines and musical interludes are very reminiscent at time of Pesch's erstwhile band Warlock.

The backing is in the classic power trio format with Norlander doubling up on keyboards and bass and he calls the whole project his Led Zeppelin. The production is large and spacious allowing the walls of guitars to breath and weave excellent sonic landscapes and the extended musical interludes show just how talented the band is and makes one want to see them live to find out just how the whole thing would sound on stage.

The stand out tracks on Red Planet Boulevard are the simply excellent Angels and Magicians, the heavy opener Into The Fire and stunning power ballad Jessica. That's not to dis the rest of the album though. The Warlock inspired Capture the Sun , the 60’s style Lazy Summer Day are almost as good. If you want to get a feel of the album though before you buy try and cop a listen to the title track, Red Planet Boulevard, which is a clever re-working of all the tracks on the album into one track.

 I was expecting one thing from this CD and got something completely different instead but overall Red Planet Boulevard is an album that easily stands up to repeated listenings and one from which you will find something new each time it find it's way onto your CD player.

Let us know your views on Red Planet Boulevard

Track Listing

Into the Fire
The Frozen Sea
Capture the Sun
Jessica
Stepford,USA
Shine
Lazy Summer Day
No Tears Left
Save the World
Angels and Magicians
The Sheltering Sorrow
Red Planet Boulevard

Line Up

Lana Lane - Vocals
Erik Norlander - Keyboards/Bass
Peer Verschuren - Guitars
Ernst Van Ee - Drums