As long time readers of the site will know I’m a bit of AOR nut. However in recent months I’ve found myself growing bored with a lot of the straight ahead, formulaic AOR that is out there these days. If a band don’t have either brilliant songs or a different approach to the well worn genre then it's a struggle to be enthusiastic about their material. Luckily Code have recorded, with 'The Enemy Within', score on both points. It's  an album that goes to show that you can still write good, catchy songs, with different lyrical views and slightly different musical ideas and yet still come up with a killer album!

Formed from the ashes of Grand Illusion, Code have taken the best bits of Toto, Chicago, Queensryche, House Of Lords and a million and one other bands and stuck them into blender to come up with an album that is both original and familiar in the same breath, an album that on first listen sounds good and with repeated plays simply gets better. Take opener 'The Enemy Within',  with its Queensryche-esque guitar riff to its Toto-ish. main chorus and you'll get a good idea what I mean.

OK there are plenty of straight ahead AOR songs, 'How Do We Stay In Love' being the most obvious being a power ballad very much in the style of Chicago circa the 19 album. Elsewhere however the badn do mix things up considerably. Alive is a chance for the Bissonette to spread his wings during the intro and comes across as blend of House Of Lords and Toto circa Tambo  with lyrics out of the top draw that reveal more and more depth with every listen. The Toto connection continues with 'Uninvited Guest',  but this time  more akin to Bobby Kimball solo work, being a semi -boogie style number. And then you have 'Flying High'.  Bon Jovi jamming with Joe Satriani during its intro before becoming more mainstream and building and building to an excellent solo. 'Sworn To Silence' rounds the album out, a piano driven power ballad that is simply beautiful and easies the album superbly to it’s conclusion.

With 'The Enemy Within' Code have produced an excellent album , one that I had no expectations from and sometimes that is for the best. It takes the best bits of AOR and presents them in a just slightly different enough fashion to make them interesting enough to any rock fans. If Toto hit me early in 2006 with my personal album of the year then Code have done the same her and I’ll be surprised if it doesn't feature in many best of eleven months hence. Cool all the way through...

Let us know your views on 'The Enemy Within'

Track List

The Enemy Within
Sign Up For Love
Home Away From Home
In The Shadows
How Do We Stay In Love
My Time
Alive
Uninvited Guest
How Can I Change The World
Flying High
Sworn To Silence

Line Up

Sherwood Ball - Vocals
Anders Rydholm - Guitars/Bass/Keys
Ola Af Trampe - Guitars
Gregg Bissonette - Drums