4.5 out of 5 Stars!

I contend, had Norway’s Jorn Lande been in the “singing business” back in the ’70s/’80s, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that celebrated guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (having perhaps the best “ear” when it came to selecting vocalists for his groups) would have recruited him to join either Deep Purple or Rainbow. No doubt at all, since Jorn Lande (to me, anyway) is on par with any of the legendary singers with whom Blackmore has worked, including Rod Evans, Ian Gillan, David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes, Joe Lynn Turner, Ronnie James Dio, Graham Bonnet, and Doogie White.

No matter on which album he appears, Lande’s voice is full, rich, and nothing short of stunning, with his performances always energetic and commanding, so it’s no wonder he’s been involved with numerous bands and musicians since arriving on the scene and is consistently in high demand.

On Out to Every Nation, Jorn’s third solo effort, he’s joined by a formidable group of musicians, including guitarist Jørn Viggo Lofstad (Pagan’s Mind/Beautiful Sin), bassist Magnus Rosén (HammerFall/Revolution Renaissance), drummer Stian Kristoffersen (Pagan’s Mind/Firewind), and keyboardist Ronny Tegner (Pagan’s Mind)…so basically, what we have here is the band Pagan’s Mind with a different bassist and Lande behind the microphone. Moreover, Lande and Lofstad wrote all the music for the album, while Lande tackled the lyrics himself. And as a result of having this particular lineup of powerhouse musicians, with all songs composed by the same duo, this is easily one of the most consistent Jorn albums, and also one of the heaviest. Mighty tunes such as “Rock Spirit,” “Young Forever,” “Through Day and Night,” “Living With Wolves,” “One Day We Will Put Out the Sun,” and the title track itself blast from the speakers like cannons of melodic fury, while the two ballads—”Behind the Clown” and “When Angel Wings were White”—add slower but no less powerful diversity, with the latter song being wonderfully dramatic, and in my opinion, one of the finest songs Jorn ever recorded.

Anyway, since “discovering” him just after the turn of the century, I believe I now own just about every album on which Lande’s ever appeared either as a solo artist, a member of a band, or as a “guest performer.” And thus far, whether delivering his own material or covering classic Heavy Metal tracks and often making them “his own,” as he’s prone to do with great success, he has yet to disappoint me. Therefore, that easily qualifies Lande as another legend in the making, and Out to Every Nation certainly displays his talent in full and awesome glory.

Get The Album Now!