Calling a record like this “Deja Vu” is fair enough, but that also neglects the point a little. As Paul Rees pointed out in his book on AOR, being “cool” was never really what mattered. Great songs did. Big choruses, huge hooks, keys in all the right places, guitars that know when to soar and when to punch. On their third record, Switzerland’s Fighter V understand that perfectly.
There is history here, too. Their debut was produced by Jona Tee of H.E.A.T, and “Deja Vu” carries some of those same melodic rock vibes. But this never feels like a tribute act record. It feels like a band who know exactly what this music is supposed to do and set about doing it with absolute conviction.
“Raging Heartbeat” opens things in fashion as classic as AOR gets, all the things that have ever been good about the genre rolled into one sharp, shiny package. “Victory” follows with a bit of everything, from those gloriously Euro-flavoured keys to a lovely twin guitar solo. “Made For A Heartache” is a superb slice of melodic rock, with a soaring chorus and stacked harmonies to match, but there is something a little tougher at play here too, which gives it extra weight.
By the time “Foolish Heart” arrives, any thought of subtlety has long since left the building, and that keytar solo is so 80s it might as well wear shoulder pads. The title track is an invitation to get fists up, plain and simple, while “Stand By Your Side” rifles gleefully through some mid-period Def Leppard ideas and comes out all the better for it.
There is real class in the way this record is paced, mind. “All Your Love” builds magnificently and feels like top-league melodic rock, the sort of song that knows patience can make the payoff even sweeter. The vocals are a little rougher than the old singer’s, but that actually works in the album’s favour. There is a bit more edge to it. “Hold The Time” could cheerfully sit on the debut Bon Jovi record and not feel at all out of place, while “For All This Time” is the kind of 21st century power ballad this sort of album absolutely needs.
“Break Those Limits” picks the energy back up, and then “Victim Of Changes” closes things with swagger to spare. There is a confidence here, the sense that Fighter V know exactly what they are doing, and that Van Halen-style guitar work feels like a starting gun. Victor Olsson, whose keyboard parts were recorded separately, is again to the fore, and his contributions are central to why this works so well. The keys flash, parp, colour and elevate throughout.
Remember the old days when album three was the one that broke a band? “Deja Vu” feels poised to be exactly that kind of record. It is not interested in reinventing melodic rock, and frankly it does not need to be. These songs are strong enough, the performances are good enough, and the choruses are big enough to do the talking themselves.
If you are looking for somebody to carry the flame for this kind of music, Fighter V make a very convincing case here. “Deja Vu” is full of class, full of hooks, and full of the not giving a shit about trends attitude that this music has always required.
RATING 8/10
