Tour de Force

Tour de Force, released in May 2013, is the fifth album, on which The Poodles drew Swedish melodic hard rock's appeal in strong colour through powerful vocals, springing guitar and choruses you remember. Encouraged by the previous album, they kept the line-up intact and began recording that February, again for Frontiers. The songs are approachably pop while the rhythms and riffs keep a firm metal push, and the guitar solos are not rationed. The momentum from the opening “Misery Loves Company” into “Shut Up!” never breaks, and “Viva Democracy” and “40 Days and 40 Nights” are arena-scale anthems. The tempo drops only for the sole ballad, “Leaving the Past to Pass”; otherwise “Godspeed” and “Now Is the Time” carry it through to the end. Forward-driving numbers and songs of deeper feeling are placed in good balance, so the album never sags. The physical edition adds “En För Alla För En,” sung in their own language. The record to reach for when you want bracing, powerful melody.