Cats in Space
Atlantis

The cats return and this time they get back to Earth, perhaps to replace the master cat Manzi who left the band. Damien Edwards is the new cat behind the microphone and along with his band of kitties he takes to the oceans in search Atlantis and the kind of rock music that brings joy in a year that has been dominated by disease. And as usual it is an album with a great cover, like more or less all their albums, and like the previous ones I have pre-ordered it on vinyl. Problem is that this band seem to be too popular for me, the t-shirts and t-shirt bundles were already sold out when I ordered well over two weeks before release – that is annoying, and perhaps I should go for a less popular band instead, or one that stocks enough t-shirts for their new albums. But what about these cats and their search for Atlantis?

It should sound familiar to those knowing the earlier adventures in the great spaceship, it is similar in style with pomp rock dominated by strong melodies, bombastic and clean sound as well as distinct choruses. The new singing cat might not be quite as great as the great Paul Manzi but Damien Edwards sings really well and having a new voice also leads to the band needing to slightly reinvent themselves, and that is a positive aspect. The sound is classic yet fresh, the variation over the songs is good, and there is both depth and dynamics over the tracks. There might not be that many surprises, but it is a fresh sounding and playful album, a high-quality production.

This newest adventure showcases the cats in their prime, the underwater adventures has almost everything to offer, even fish for the hungry cats whenever they need. Pepper likes this album and he sure knows about cat things being the evil cat creature that he is, I also enjoy this one that starts like they all do with a great song to set the tone and then comes a few other brilliant tracks like the catchy Listen to the Radio, my probable favourite I Fell Out of Love With Rock ‘n Roll, Seasons Change and the ending title track Atlantis, just to name a few of the great tracks that is being played on the radio in the cat ship when it journeys through the dark oceans of this planet.

I think the cats still has both playfulness and claws, it is a brilliant album and of the melodic rock bands that has arrived in the last decade they certainly are at the top, one of the best if not the best. And this is another really enjoyable album that I can recommend to anyone who enjoys purrfect cattitudes and lots of bite. I have put my claws towards a copy, I think you ought to do the same or you will miss out on some excellent melodic rock music – someone said the best album since something by Styx in the seventies, it is difficult to disagree.

HHHHHHH