Norwegian multi-instrumentalist artist Satin, a.k.a. Tommy Nilsen, is back with his third album Appetition. It has been a five-year break since his previous album It’s About Time (2017), which in turn arrived three years after his 2014 self-titled debut.
The time between albums might be growing, but I suppose this is to be expected. Satin isn’t his only musical project, and not even his main one. He is primarily known for performing in melodic pop/country crossover act Pegasus (who won a Norwegian Grammy in 2012), as well as keeping busy as a songwriter, producer, and performer in other artistic constellations (often playing acoustic shows as part of one of his many duos).
Even with many other things going on, I have a feeling that Satin music is never totally gone from Nilsen’s mind. He grew up with posters of Jon Bon Jovi and Paul Stanley on his walls, and the melodic form of hard rock that those people delivered with their bands, particularly in the 1980s, still clearly resonates in his music loving heart. As much as I know that he loves every project he’s involved in, I think he will always find a way to come back to his early love of AOR-infused hard rock to scratch that sweet nostalgic itch. You never forget your first loves, even in music.
Having signed a record deal with Italian AOR label Burning Minds there is every hope that this is a new beginning for Satin. The quality has always been there in the music. At this point, it’s all about bringing it to the masses.
Outside of Norway, Satin has seen some success particularly in Japan where the first two albums came in special editions that sold out very quickly. Hopefully this is his chance to get a foothold elsewhere as well. The album is well equipped to do the job, with its collection of catchy and infectious songs, all packed in a classic and refined AOR sounding production.
Just like on previous releases, Satin has written, performed, produced, recorded, mixed and mastered everything himself. This is very much a homegrown and hands-on process.
As always, the songwriting and arrangements on the album are top notch, pining back to that classic era when the genre first sprang to prominence. Compared to that era, the production and overall approach sounds very fresh, the album being a sonic delight. Imagine hearing your favourite melodic hard rock gems from the 1980s, but with punchier production and without any dated instrumental sounds? That’s pretty much what you get here. All the classic elements of AOR songwriting are present. The arrangements are timeless and stylistically familiar, yet with a significant upgrade to the punchy and clear sound which is expected of more modern productions.
In short, Satin has taken everything he loved from the heyday of AOR, given it his own spin, and made it sound like a current product, albeit with at least one leg still standing in the classic era.
Going Your Way kicks off the album, and is instantly recognizable as Satin to those who know his previous albums. We’re starting out with a very melodic – and dare I say poppy – track as far as overall style. There’s plenty of riffing guitars in the background, though, providing a satisfying power pop backdrop to proceedings.
The chorus is huge and contains plenty of trademarked Satin layers of harmonizing. This is a theme for the album overall – there are plenty of very satisfying vocal harmonies throughout.
This track is followed by Angels Come, Angels Go. This is an incredible song – simply speaking an album highlight, and its creator has also indicated that the track is a particular favourite of his.
The track is a prime example of clever arranging. Everything is done correctly in order to give the song maximum emotional heft. It could have been confusing, with some parts taking the shape of a ballad while elsewhere it has a full-on rock arrangement, and sometimes a mix. But, there’s no need to overthink this. It just works.
The fact that it dips in and out of several expressions is in fact a key strength, giving the song real ebb and flow as it tugs away on your heartstrings. It is storytelling by music. It is one of the best songs Satin has ever been involved with.
While the album as a whole features several keyboard parts, this song has some of my favourite keyboard usage on the album, giving the track a very atmospheric and even a slightly uneasy foundation which suits it very well. When the guitars come in they are crunchy, but stay a step behind the vocal melody which takes the centre stage in this tale which urges the listener not to give up on love even if you lose important people in your life.
Angels come and the angels they go
You just pick them up
And you later let go
Angels come and the angels they go
Stay alive
As much as Satin is often placed in an AOR category, it is clear that he defines the genre on his own terms. AOR is usually melodic rock with emphasis on the melody. Satin is just as much melodic rock with emphasis on the rock. Waiting For Another Man is a prime example – the track is energetic and bouncy, and while the trademark hooks and melodies are very much present. Most of the tracks are overflowing with energy and positive vibes. Look no further than this energizing track! It will make you tap your foot, shake your booty, or whatever your favourite motion of choice is to get into the groove with the music. The following track Everybody Needs To Be Loved is very much of the same ilk, easily as much power pop as it is AOR.
Those pining for a good, powerful ballad get their wish in A Dream Coming True. You can always count on Satin to feature a handful of good quality ballads on his albums. In keeping with the overall energetic mood of the album, the ballads burn with an inner energy which matches the vibe of the album very well, but this is still the one where the lighters (or mobile phones) come out!
Looking At You opens with a slinky riff, hitting a bit of a groove as it struts along the verses. It’s something slightly different from Satin, without really leaving the Satin formula. The song does of course culminate in yet another solidly melodic chorus, and even offers up a solo that refreshingly alternates between melodic harmonies and face-melting sections. The vocal melody ends up defining this song as much as it does the others, giving it a solid common denominator. Musically, this song manages to keep me intrigued from start to its acapella finish.
Pearly Gates is likely this album’s biggest stab at creating pure, huge-sounding arena rock. The riff is larger than life and it has a chorus to match. I could hear Def Leppard making a crack at this song, but I doubt they could improve on it. “I’m entitled to take action / If the feeling is right” Satin sings in this empowering song about charging ahead to achieve what you believe in.
The title of the next track could easily give the wrong impression, as Jenny (I’m Bringing You Down) might make it look like Jenny is a target. The two parts of the title are however very separate. As the chorus of the song reveals, “I’m bringing you down” were the last words that Jenny wrote in a break-up/goodbye letter left for the person singing the song. The narrator vehemently disagrees with Jenny, and the song reveals that they are trying to locate her to tell Jenny that she is in fact a very happy influence.
The first part of the song is performed in ballad form, with a second part is a full-on rock arrangement. In effect, we are getting two different versions of the song back-to-back, which works very well. The ballad illustrates the initial sadness at receiving the letter, while the energetic section demonstrates a change towards determination about finding Jenny, reunite with her, and making things right.
The song does not tell us how things ended. Was Jenny found? Did they get back together? Who knows. The song focuses on capturing a moment in their relationship – a crucial moment – and it describes the feelings contained at that specific point in time. As such, the song works incredibly well, and packs a strong enough emotional punch to make it one of Appetition‘s most memorable songs.
I’m Still Waiting is the most archetypical AOR song on the album. It is mid-tempo, suitably keyboard-driven with guitars playing along, and enjoyably melodic. It is a fine track, but ultimately a bit harmless, and not the most exciting track on offer. It’s interesting that when a more typical/standard AOR track appears, it sounds a bit different than the rest of the album. As mentioned previously, while Satin fits within an AOR tag, he definitely does it his own way, frequently adding more bombastic elements and louder guitars. The usual issues I have with AOR in general – that it is a bit same-y – honestly does not apply to Satin. It is almost funny how a track that is close to defining the standard for the genre is different enough from the other tracks on a Satin album that it ends up adding diversity to it.
The final track is Fight Again, which ends the album with a bang in every way. This track is simply speaking brilliant and a bit of a late-album secret weapon. It is easily another album highlight. Like so much of the album, this track is up-tempo and forward-leaning, to the point that it is likely one of the most energetic tracks on the album. It’s got melody lines that are both catchy and innovative, the pre-chorus section in particular being a delight. The album ends with one of its highlights, which will make you want to restart the album. Take it from me. It’s happened. More than once.
This song is one of the heavier moments on the album, consisting of solid 1980s hard rock moments with crunchy riffs and kick-ass drive. Those who are primarily AOR fans need not worry, though – the common denominator with the rest of the album is that it is also very melodic. The mixture of power and melody can be very powerful, as evidenced here.
How to summarize this album? It is yet another rock solid collection of songs, and probably Satin’s most diverse album so far. The melodic qualities are superb and beyond discussion. What makes the album so interesting is that the art of applying melodic hooks is used in so many different ways across numerous styles. It almost does not matter what style a song has. Satin understands how to give a song – any song – a valid hook or three, and is more than able to place them exactly where they should be for maximum effect. He could probably find a way to make even a hardened jazz song resonate with shiny, melodic hooks and lovely vocal harmonies.
In sum, the album ends up having a lot more variation than most albums in the AOR genre tends to have, all within the melodic parameters that Satin stands for. This gives fans of the genre everything they expect, while also giving them things they didn’t know that they wanted.
Appetition is scheduled for release on 14 October 2022. For those about to AOR, we salute you.
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