DRAMARAMA

The Swedish outfit AGENTS OF MERCY initially started out as a creative side vehicle of Roine Stolt from The Flower Kings, which evolved into a collaborative effort with fellow Swede Nad Sylvan, and, following their initial release in 2009, the final transformation for this endeavour was to blossom into a full-fledged band effort. Something of a supergroup in terms of the local Swedish art rock universe, "Dramarama" is the sophomore album issued under the Agents of Mercy moniker, and their first production as a bona fide band project.

If you like vintage symphonic art rock, don't mind some obvious influences and enjoy the ones harder to place, "Dramarama" is a production you'll be pleased with. Splendid musicianship and well-crafted compositions come with the territory for a band with such a line-up, and Stolt is a classy producer who manages to bring out the best of the material at hand. Perhaps not a contender for originality awards for 2010, but a high quality production within its field nonetheless.