Clash of the Elements

Clash of the Elements, released on 20 May 2009, is the third album, on which The Poodles pushed Nordic melodic rock's clarity out through more forceful band playing. From this record the guitarist is Henrik Bergqvist: his predecessor Pontus Norgren had left for HammerFall. Norgren himself said he had always liked heavier music and had felt at times that this was not the right forum for what he most wanted to play. Europe got it on 28 August. Mats Valentin produced, and Mike Fraser — Aerosmith, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Whitesnake — was brought in to mix. Wide choruses and tight rhythm give the songs a live-ready lift. After the opening “Too Much of Everything” come the Top Ten “One Out of Ten” and the all-out “I Rule the Night” as the driving pair. At fourteen tracks it is generously filled, and it does not run out of breath before the closing “Wings of Destiny.” Catchy, yet never monotonous in its arrangements. Touring followed across 29 European cities, including Firefest and Graspop. A satisfying record that ties pop instinct to a hard rock core without strain.