It was their very first album entitled No 1 that secured M.ILL.ION’s reputation and found them justifiably labelled as ‘Sweden’s Finest’. The hard rocking album went top thirty in Japan but it was when they released their second album We, Ourselves and Us in 1995 that their now familiar melodic rock sound really began to develop. By the time the album Electric was released in 1998, M.ILL.ION were at the top of their game and a major tour was arranged to establish them alongside the very best. However, it wasn’t to be as financial problems within the record label led to cancellation of the tour. Momentum was inevitably lost but the band kept going with changes in line up and several more albums including the highly rated Kingsize.
With a settled line up of founder member, song writing bass player B.L. Laneby, singer Ulrich Carlsson (joined 1999), guitarist Jonas Hermansson (in and out of the band since 1999), keyboard player Johan Bergquist (since 2002), and drummer Per Westergren (1996), they went into the studio at the tale end of 2007 and recorded this their latest album Thrill of the Chase.
What they have come up with is some typically strong M.ILL.ION fare, laden with catchy hooks and melodic choruses that should please their still impressive fan base. Thrill of the Chase carries on largely from where Kingsize left off. It is a musical case of, ‘if it isn’t broken don’t fix it’. After all who can blame them for sticking to their strengths after a history that has seen them being ‘so close’ and yet ‘so far’ as they were often frustrated by unfortunate timing and circumstance that proved to be anything but kind to them?
Thrill of the Chase however contains more tub thumping rock than its immediate predecessor and is perhaps stronger as a result. This album will please, not only their hard core fan base, but also anyone who loves melodic rock music. It is hard driven yet catchingly written, well structured and extremely well produced. All in all it is M.ILL.ION at their familiar best.
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