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SOCIAL DISORDER
Time To Rise
Pride & Joy Music

Soaring riffs!
Hard-hitting melodic harmonies!
Overseas connections!
And their music sounding nothing like the type of band signed to Victory Records!

"Respect and all, but no relation to my band whatsoever! Stupid Google search engine algorithm!" - Mike Ness of SOCIAL DISTORTION, probably, if he'd been asked about this band just because they share the same initials With an all-star lineup comprising of the likes of Tracii Guns (LA GUNS), Rudy Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, OZZY OSBOURNE, WHITESNAKE), Jeff Duncan (ARMORED SAINT, ODIN), Dave Stone (RAINBOW), Snowy Shaw (KING DIAMOND, DREAM EVIL, MERCYFUL FATE), Shawn Duncan (DC4, ODIN, BULLETBOYS) and Leif Ehlin (PERFECT PLAN) as some of the talent making up the bulk of all-star ubergroup SOCIAL DISORDER, the biggest accomplishment thus far of this group isn't just that they have a stellar debut in the form of 2021's Love 2 Be Hated, but that they actually managed to record a follow-up album despite their members' own individual touring schedules. Sophomore effort Time To Rise should really sound like a jacked-up rushed affair amongst several skilled musicians with important touring/recording deadlines to meet - except that it doesn't. Thank the Zoom, Skype and MS Teams gods for even the smallest role in lots of the exchanging of musical ideas during the album's recording process, but Time To Rise is the genuine sound of a raw-sounding studio birthing. With the guidance of multi-talented Anders LA Ronnblom - best known as the founder and songwriter from KILLER BEE and X-ROMANCE as well as a member of Swedish melodic metallers WOLFPAKK - SOCIAL DISORDER should be the type of band who, based on their name alone, positively invites chaos into its otherwise tame realm. Right?

Well, for Anders, having faced the cumbersome beast of rock 'n roll excess square in the face throughout more times in his career than he understandably would prefer to remember, the last thing he wants is to invite any more chaos into his life as an accomplished and extremely grounded musician. He'd already addressed his ongoing battle with those same personal demons throughout Love 2 Be Hated; with Time To Rise, Anders has rolled a pair of decent sevens and went next level. The carefree AOR aura from the debut album is taken up a good couple of notches without any sonic disruptions; maybe the only reason I'm not immediately feeling the mostly keyboard-driven dramatic choiresque ballad "Dancing In The Rain" is because it's missing Shawn Duncan's riveting tubthumping work, but even overlooking that minor detail, Time To Rise punches the clock well above its weight.

Opening the album is the chest-pounding title track with vocalist Thomas Nordin in fine form as the dual guitar work of Anders and Tracii throughout the track shine mightily. Following up the enthusiastic aura of the album would be the stratospheric prog rock aura of "High On Life" and the pulsating "Going Blind" featuring a guest appearance from Bjorn Englen on bass. The harmonica-driven blues-tinged number "Free Your Spirit"is definitely an attention-catching track as both Anders and Tracii display their individual rustic blues influences on the breezy song while the likes of the heavy-sounding "Forged In Fire"and the swaying groove of "Stardust And Mirrors" and "Last Call" are the album's easily underrated tracks. And while it may be easily the quietest song throughout the album, the aforementioned "Dancing In The Rain" does highlight Thomas' most soulful and vocally soaring performance as a blanket of accompanying synth and piano relaxes the tone of the song.

It may not be looking to overthrow authority, but Time To Rise is certainly an album from a band as eager as SOCIAL DISORDER looking to make a change in the hard rock/AOR scene in its ownway. With its own special team of well-established musicians to its credit, SOCIAL DISORDER are well on their way on the proverbial up.

4.5 Out Of 5.0

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