DW – “Way Back”, “Lady Steelheart” & “Angel’s Crying”
Based in Piteå Sweden, with his wife and a Rotweiller, Dan Wande aka DW, is a well-navigated vocalist, musician and producer who has been in the music industry for over 40 years. Dan has sung in a lot of metal/hard rock bands in Sweden, like Myopic Void, Grave, Vandee, Unit-X, Stella and SMILE among others. He owns a home studio where creates his phenomenal, full-on rock productions, collaborating with exceptional musicians from Italy, USA, Greece and Poland. Dan, who also plays the guitar, frequently works with drummer Daniel Trogen.
The 3 track EP, “Way Back” is the sum of all Dan Wande’s brilliant and passionate efforts. DW is an all-purpose rock talent. He composed, arranged, recorded and produced the EP, in a global collaboration, which also includes the aforementioned Daniel Trogen who helped with the pre-production on drums. And the results are stunning. People who say good music is not being made, or “Rock is dead” do not look past what the mainstream pushes.
If you have any affection for the golden age of melodic rock, give DW a try. I bet you will find your new favorite artist. It’s like meeting up with your favorite rock group, you have not heard from in a while. DW blows way the fake, manufactured corporate rockers, and phony nu-metal prophets, with his bone-crushing rhythms, screaming guitars and soaring melodies.
The last time, hard-driving, melodic rock, sounded this good, was during the eighties, when only legends dared to play guitars and pick up microphones. “Way Back” proves beyond doubt that Dan Wande’s skills and creativity have done nothing but grow with the passing of time. He’s also a phenomenal singer, songwriter, and lyricist – all executed with an apparent ease indicative of his monumental talent level.
DW’s genius is his ability to write and sing songs that you don’t need to be a musician to love, and then filling them with the appropriate amount of instrumental firepower. It’s an unbeatable combination and Dan’s vocals are nothing short of masterful.
He opens the EP with “Angel’s Crying”, which is built on chugging guitar riffs, throbbing basslines, and a slamming drumbeat. Above it all, some fleet-fingered rock guitar licks, and Dan’s high-rising voice which greatly enhances the song and stamps it as his own.
“Lady Steelheart” follows, and instantly shifts gears, as DW brings the heat, infusing the track with shape-shifting keyboards, in support of the flamboyant guitars and incessant rhythm. As always, he finds endless ways to keep the musical and meaningful aspects of his songs in perfect balance. What rocks, though, is the fact that each song can stand tall on Dan Wande’s voice alone.
There aren’t many melodic rock or metal singers out there, who can roll vocally with Dan, and this EP demonstrates that beyond question. If I had to liken Dan Wande to another legendary rock singer, stylistically, it would be without doubt, Klause Meine (Scorpions), in in his heyday. They both have the same extraordinary range, power, and clear vocal diction, which cuts right through any song like a laser beam.
For proof of my aforementioned statement, lay your ears on the monumental title track “Way Back”. There’s enough tone, timbre and passion in Dan Wande’s voice here, to light up an entire city skyline. He brings a euphoric vibe that perfectly sets up tone-perfect guitar solos, wild shredding and explosive licks on top of the ever-present keys. This is an insanely pulverizing track with killer vocals and endless hooks. It pulls you in, grips its claws into you.
The EP “Way Back”, as a whole, is a true triumph. A defining testament to just how fully-loaded the prodigious talent of Dan Wande aka DW really is. Dan is one of those musicians that everyone who listens to rock music should know about. He should be a household name. “Way Back” is just what is needed to wake everyone up!
